re: Spinal fusion surgery (severe scoliosis)

Ex-gf had it done. Extreme, excruciating pain and she couldn’t leave the bed for several weeks. She eventually recovered and is 100% fine now.

The doctors tell you to get active within days of the surgery. Is it painful? Yes, but not getting out of bed seems ridiculous

Who is the best spine surgeon in BR or NO? Please don't nominate your personal friend...just want to know who is truly the BEST of the BEST?

Wife is nursing school at the time and she had a patient that was around 2 years old that was about to have surgery to correct her severe scoliosis. Poor kid’s spine started at a 45 degree curvature and was at 90 degrees at this time. Was about to lose the ability to breathe. She was in love with the little girl because she was just so happy and upbeat even though she was in severe pain. Not sure how everything went but she was told it was a success.

i had 5 level ACDF 4 years ago. I had scoliosis, but had no symptoms from it until someone t-boned me on Staring Lane as i was coming home from work. My doctor is at Neuro Medical Center, and of course the surgery was done in their hospital. My only complaint is that I have dysphagia. It could last anywhere from a few weeks, to a few years. I suppose mine is lasting a few years, but it has gotten a lot better. I hope it eventually clears up.

ETA: I did have to wear a neck brace for 7 weeks following the surgery. A hard neck brace, not the foam kind. Even had to sleep with it, but I got use to it.

Has she tried Schroth Therapy?

I have had fusion surgery just 9 months ago. I was 63 at the time. I have suffered with minor scoliosis and a later injury induced spinal stenosis since my mid 20's. I saw two different neurosurgeons that just performed laminectomies on the L3 to L5 region. Both surgeries were failures and I lived with the pain. Flash forward to last year, I was in so much pain I couldn't stand for more than a couple minutes at a time. I could no longer do any kind of physical activity. Lucky for me I had a friend who was a retired anesthesiologist who had been involved in hundreds of these operations. He sent me to a local Orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Butler, and I decided to go through with the operation one last time.

Dr. Butler installed 11 pieces of hardware in my back, from the L1 to the S1 vertebra. One piece of a vertebra was broken off, thus the 11 pieces and not 12. The S1 was completely separated from the L5. I was in a lot of pain after the surgery, and basically bedridden for two weeks. After that I was able to get up and move around. I was in the gym doing light workouts in Week 3, Dr. Butler said I could do anything I wanted, depending on my tolerance for pain. I was also riding my bike over 10 miles a day at the start of working out again.

Now, 9 months later, I am totally pain free. I can stand, I can walk 18 holes of golf, I no longer lose control of my legs. I spend two hours a day in the gym and ride my bike 15 miles a day (weather permitting). I do this to maintain an activity level that both the doctor and I feel will stave off issues in the future. We'll see. I do still have some numb areas on my legs and feet, but that is nerve damage that may, or may not go away. In short, this surgery was successful and has completely changed my life.

I am happy I gave it one final go.

ETA: Best of luck to your daughter and your family.

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Has she tried Schroth Therapy?

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Yes. Tried quite a few things. Boston Brace 22/24 hours every day for 2 years. Schroth after that. A new type of brace. Still got worse unfortunately.

I couldn't link to the article because you need a subscription to newspapers.com to read (I think), but:

Hope everything works out right