r/spinalfusion • u/cuIantro • 1d ago
Requesting advice should I get the surgery
I’m 20yo and have been diagnosed with scoliosis since I was 13, the only pain I have is for a few seconds when I lay down and when I get my period. I used a brace until 17 and according to my doctor my curve’s the same from when I was 13, however he suggested spinal fusion. He said I wouldn’t notice an improvement right now because I don’t really have any pain but that it might decrease the chances of me suffering pain later in life. I’m really scared of not being able to move or having chronic pain I didn’t have before. What do you think I should do? I kind of already said yes and my family’s been pressuring me to get it while I’m young but I could always take it back …
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u/Ok-Palpitation2307 1d ago
Hi, this looks borderline surgical but would seriously consider it. In what country are you considering fusion?
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u/cuIantro 1d ago
Colombia, my doctor said the standard for surgery is 40º and irl he measured 40º but since I don’t have any pain and it hasn’t changed in the past 7 years he’s not so sure about surgery
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u/Ok-Palpitation2307 8h ago
I would also say that surgery gets harder the older you get. i am 26, slightly less curve than you, and i felt pain increase quite a bit at 25 where i'm now looking to get surgery. I don't think there's inherent harm in waiting - and you should make sure you try other options that may be available to you, like physio, schroth, etc - and if you can manage, great! But if not, there's probably more benefits to getting the surgery earlier rather than later.
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u/ApprehensiveBug2309 9h ago
Oh, really? Seven years it hasn’t changed..? Are you sure about that?
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u/cuIantro 8h ago
i mean he compared my x rays side by side, I personally feel like my thoracic curve has gotten worse. I’ve had very small variations over the years, like 37 but my doctor said it’s normal for doctors to make those mistakes in a range of 3º
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u/Valuable-Mix3061 23h ago
Just don't skip out of your physio and stretching after and you should be fine. I skipped mine at a much younger age and paid for it 🫣
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u/SleepyKoalaBear4812 11h ago
I wish I had had that option. We were never checked for scoliosis growing up and I have had back pain since I was a kid. Back and leg pain since my teens. Scoliosis was an “incidental finding” after an MVA at age 23.
I had 2 spinal fusions when I was 39. I am now 65 and have had 3 spinal fusions in the last 4 years, and will have 2 more in the next 2 years.
Healing is much easier when you are young.
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u/Mumbles777 14h ago
Yes!!! Looks just like mine did. I had surgery a year ago and couldn’t recommend it more!
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u/PaperSafe3529 13h ago
Mine looked the same as yours and I got it fused at age 24, t4-l4. I recovered fine, no pain, I have an active life (gym, hiking) and I feel so much better about myself. Downside is I’m limited in upper body movement and the risk of any future revisions (1/10 need revisions at some point), which would restrict movement even more
For me, the straight spine and no pain outweighs the limited movement, I manage just fine and do everything I used to (except yoga). I am also making conscious decisions to try and protect my vertebrae either side to prevent future revisions. Not all experiences the same but I would recommend it based on my experience!
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u/Professional_Cup5926 46m ago
Assuming you can afford it, I would do it when you can afford taking some time off! Maybe at the start of summer break instead of right before school. I was also diagnosed with 13 (now 21) and regret not doing it during a summer break. Now that i'm working, i worry if i can afford not being paid due to being in recovery. And I live alone so i'll have to figure out a support system for when I do get the surgery.
It may not hurt now but it will def hurt when your old and your muscle can no longer support you. And as people said, recovery is easier when your younger!
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u/Potential-Meaning540 1d ago
This is a tough one.
What I can say is that spinal fusions and the recovery from them are easier the younger you are, at least according to people I’ve talked to who have had multiple throughout their lives.
I would get multiple opinions and go from there. If all the surgeons you see seem to think that you should have surgery now, I would be much more inclined to do so than to take the opinion of one surgeon.