Fourth time ' s a charm? It better be.

About 2 weeks ago (June 8th) I had my first formal visit with the spine surgeon, along with a medical resident on the surgical team. The conversation was sobering. They admitted that it could be possible to improve my quality of life with another spinal fusion surgery. But, they said, the procedure would be a true challenge for them and the risks would be great for me. There are many factors to consider before surgery even begins, but first… what would they do in the actual surgery? Step 1: Make an incision on my (most likely) right side, across the ribs and under the arm. Step 2: Crack a rib or two open (to make room for their instruments and maybe…hands…ugh). Step 3: In that opening through my rib cage, they would then go in and move my organs to one side in order to get to the spine underneath. This would also mean moving my right lung over. Ouch. Step 4: Plastic surgeon would then work on finding and removing as much scar tissue as possible. I have lots of useless scar tissue from previous surgeries. Scar tissue is brittle and only good for internal healing. It’s not at all helpful for surgeons. Step 5: Once scar tissue is removed/reduced as much as possible down my spine, they will patch me up and close the wound. Step 6: They’d begin a major incision down my spine, from the back this time. Step 7: They’d identify two areas of my spinal column that do not yet appear fused. (This contradicts what a previous doctor told me. I thought my ...
Source: Cancer, life, and me - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: General Source Type: blogs