I?ve had two pieces of bone removed from between my spinal cord and then I had my spine straitened. The first operation was done in preparation for the other. It was figured that the bones where enough of a risk for the second surgery that they should be taken out. After all if something ended up happening with them they wouldn?t be able to get to them anymore after the second surgery due to the rods keeping my spine in place until it fused.
The second surgery was the worst, it was done in two parts and with the first part they went in from the side, took a rib to fuse the bones, moved by organs over and loosened my spine and straitened it a little putting some temporary hardware in. A week later they went in from the back straitened me some more and put the full blown rods in and the crushed up bone. That operation on my side, now that was painful, I can?t even tell you. After all of the operations I was in intensive care for a day or so and then they had me walking another day or so after. I was stiff in pain but nothing the glorious morphine button couldn?t lessen, until they took me off it. Then I had to wait for pills.
Now I sit more comfortably and don?t have the risk of my spine collapsing onto my heart and lungs. The biggest risk with the surgeries was probably paralysis, luckily it didn?t happen and I can still walk about as well as I ever could.
If anyone is interested, these aren?t my x-rays but they look close enough.
http://www.distanthealer.co.uk/scoliosis.htm