Intense pain and breathing difficulty from scoliosis surgery 23 years ago?
My cousin had her spine broken and reset along a metal rod and her hip and shoulder blade moved into alignment when she was 12 because the scoliosis was so severe there was a risk of death. She has been fine until the last three years when she started having pains in her chest, ribs and back. This has been diagnosed as chest infections and hiatus hernia but the latest xray shows the rod is squashing her lungs and the GP said the only thing for it was pain killers. She is really worried cos the pain is so intense at times she can’t bear it. Has anyone else had experience of this? Any advice? Can anyone give me any links to this happening and how people have been treated?
Thank you, Black cat! I emailed my cousin your answer. That is very interesting. She says the pain is like having someone sit on her chest and punch her in the back. The thing she most fears is feeling like she can’t breathe – and she really can’t, she’s been given a pump. Does that sound familiar to you?
Hello i too had surgery for scoliosis 24 years ago, i am in the UK if that makes any difference to any answer,i have a Harrington rod in my back and they have stopped using these now in the UK as they cause problems to the patient,so as it was 23 years ago i assume she has the Harrington rod too,my back was severe and i had a double curvature(and still have)and i almost died from complications days after it,
when you say severe pains what sort are they,sharp or dull,if sharp it suggests nerve pain if so the rod may well have moved and is touching a nerve which can cause extreme agony,i have had the nerve pains myself in the past around 4 years ago,scoliosis surgery often causes problems later on,
i find it strange she has been told only pain killers can help,after all it is 2010 has she been seen by a consultant or just her GP? she may need to have the rod removed and replaced with a new modern version, as i say i heard they no longer use Harrington’s for this very reason they can cause problems later on,
so i wouldn’t settle for that answer of course something can be done,its not normal to be left in pains that is so bad,my rod moved once and came away from the bone it too was the dreaded Harrington,sorry i don’t have more detailed answer but i can give a link for scoliosis support,
its a site to ask answer and and chat with others who have scoliosis from all over the world,it is here i got the information that Harrington rods are no longer used in the UK i learnt quite a bit so they may be able to help further,
http://www.scoliosis-support.org
but whatever dont give in and dont settle for nothing cant be done,hope she gets this sorted and soon.
ADDED EXTRA:Her symptoms sound scary and they turn around and tell her they cant do anything,i had some problems in the past with bad pains and i couldnt breathe properly, as when i breathed in the pain got stronger,i felt like i was under water my pains where sharp and dull at the same time,it turned out to be a nerve being touched or pinched at some point by the rod,there was talk of another operation but it calmed down on its own, but at times i do get the wave of pains and the same sensation come over me but have told no one because i dont want more surgery after the complications i had the last time,so it could be a nerve thats getting touched or pinched for her that causes these symptoms,as depending on what nerve is affected gives different symptoms and for her its affects her breathing,as every nerve in our spinal column has a job to do and breathing is one of them,so thats what makes me think of a nerve being affected,so in turn affects her breathing and something can be done about that,doctors often try to brush us off, and just sending her away with a pump and painkillers is not on she needs to get to the bottom of it and treat the problem and not the symptoms,not sure if i am of any help i have tried to explain things my way about the nerve pains,i have had that happen to me and still does at times, it makes me feel like i am suffocating so i know how she feels.
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