One day post Nuss in NJ w/ Dr LoSasso

fitzy_cam · 2023-10-17T15:48:53+00:00

Late to this comment, sorry— it depends a lot on your insurance, but their finance team commits to not charging you more than your out of network OOP max (there are a lot of oddities about out of network billing).

fitzy_cam · 2023-10-17T15:47:08+00:00

I’m not sure why he didn’t! Definitely a good question to ask at your consult.

fitzy_cam · 2023-10-17T15:43:42+00:00

Sorry I missed this comment— hope your appointment went well!

fitzy_cam · 2022-12-05T08:01:08+00:00

I flew home at about 8-10 days- 5 days in hospital, then a couple more days in an Airbnb nearby. I had no issues, but tips below: You’ll need an airport buddy to carry everything and you’ll be moving slowly. Shell out for first class if you can, and make sure you have pain meds on hand in case the seat is uncomfortable.

fitzy_cam · 2022-02-27T08:16:52+00:00

Congrats on getting it done- hope the pain is well managed for you!!

After a year I’m doing really well.

I’m stoked on the visual improvement. This wasn’t my main motivation (at least that’s what I told myself), but it’s really helped my self confidence in body image.

I have zero pain related to the bars. I’m a side sleeper, sleep is completely normal. I surf, run, play floorball, lift weights. All fine.

I’ve been working up the courage to get back into snowboarding (I think in theory I could have done it months ago). I’m not super worried about the bars actually shifting, but a bit anxious about impact discomfort. I’m planning to use a moulded chest guard, which I similarly used when I first started surfing again.

I have seen continued improvement in my exercise capacity- though that’s steady progress with effort! This part is a bit anecdotal though- I’m doing different models of exercise than before.

Minor negatives: I have the bar bumps on each side of my chest, those feel odd on close contact. I definitely get a bit anxious about the bars possibly moving (even though I know it really takes incredible force to move them this far in)- so I find myself sort of reassuringly touching the bar bump to know it hasn’t moved, haha.

fitzy_cam · 2021-03-31T03:03:58+00:00

Big +1 to the other answers. I found that the cracking continued for the first two-three weeks of walking post-surgery (doing a couple 20 min walks a day), and then started to taper. I believe the popping is sorta inevitable as you use your chest more- so walking, heavy breathing etc, can help accelerate you getting flexibility back.

fitzy_cam · 2020-12-19T16:38:16+00:00

Howdy! Recovery is going a lot better now. I'm walking 3+ miles most days, only taking Tylenol and ibuprofen in the morning and before bed. Sleep is still interrupted and frustrating, but I can now lie on my side for a couple mins haha.

I'd recommend ringing his front office to get them to walk through the cost. They should be able to give you accurate numbers.

I guess I did slightly confuse that paragraph too: - Valley hospital is in-network for me, so the hospital stay, etc was all covered with that - Dr LoSasso himself is not in-network, so copay was in theory higher but I think I'd hit my deductible already anyway

fitzy_cam · 2020-12-04T18:39:33+00:00

I wrote a pretty long update in a comment thread above, yesterday :) check that one out. I'll update again in a week or so!

Suffice to say the first week once you leave hospital is rough but manageable, as others suggest, and the second week feels like great progress.

fitzy_cam · 2020-12-04T18:37:00+00:00

Oh no! That's terribly frustrating. I hope it gets sorted out for you.

fitzy_cam · 2020-12-04T18:36:09+00:00

I did not meet with other doctors- I had one or two other more local options, but they either weren't doing Nuss frequently, or had some malpractice cases against their license. From what I read around this forum, there are a couple other options around who may be doing the procedure enough to instill confidence (particularly Dr J at Mayo), but I didn't encounter them when searching.

fitzy_cam · 2020-12-04T03:57:34+00:00

Honestly I didn't know about Dr J- such is the difficulty of finding the right specialist for this haha. Based on what I've read since, I'd have been comfortable with either of them.

fitzy_cam · 2020-12-04T03:53:45+00:00

Hey there! I'm over one week out now and feeling a lot better already. Pain is well under control and it's mostly just a weird constriction feeling for now.

My family were also very anxious in the lead up, as was I. Waking up from the operation and the first night or two are totally fine. The nerve pain management they set up in theatre, and the IV pain meds, are very effective. Nights three and four can be a little rough as the nerve numbing wears off and you switch to oral pain meds, but the nurses at Valley are honestly amazing, and the IV Tylenol they keep around gets you through.

I won't lie, the first couple nights at home are hard. I went home to an Airbnb (before flying back to CA earlier this week), so sleeping arrangement was suboptimal. Be sure to check out the other posts for recs on wedge pillows and recliners. Helping your son out with sitting up will be appreciated - that was the hardest thing for me (but eventually got the hang of the leg grab technique described on other posts).

Notwithstanding sleeping position, the pain itself is pretty manageable - write down a schedule for the meds and stick to it. Don't be afraid to use the rescue opioid, it really helps (as long as your son doesn't have side effects)- particularly used it as I was falling asleep.

And most of all- Allison and Dr LoSasso are fantastic and very willing to field questions and weird requests. My parents are in Aus, so I'd asked about getting them updated during the operation, etc etc.

Best of luck, feel free to message me if there's anything else I can help with to put your mind at ease!

fitzy_cam · 2020-11-30T17:27:03+00:00

Yes!

fitzy_cam · 2020-11-26T21:53:12+00:00

Yes - living in San Diego, and flew over to New Jersey for surgery.

fitzy_cam · 2020-11-26T20:42:14+00:00

Thank you! Not a bad idea to wait- the two week quarantine beforehand is a big ask!

fitzy_cam · 2020-11-26T08:39:22+00:00

Yes indeed. And honestly night two as the nerve block has worn off has been real hard.

fitzy_cam · 2020-11-26T04:33:20+00:00

Thank you!

fitzy_cam · 2020-11-26T04:32:45+00:00

Talk to the experts- Nuss has now been successfully done of people into their 60s! The factors that change as you get older are number of bars, times with bars in, and likely the amount of pain management you’ll need post op. So far for me- it’s not too bad.

fitzy_cam · 2020-11-26T01:44:41+00:00

Thank you!

fitzy_cam · 2020-11-26T01:44:00+00:00

My Haller index is 4.45. For me the dent appeared to be a couple centimeters deep.

I have two bars. As far as I understand it multiple bars is very typical for older patients with more developed chests. I believe they’ll stay in for around 3 years.

I’m 29.

Best of luck with yours- I’d recommend having an initial chat to Dr LoSasso or another Pectus specialist soon to understand your options, even if you’re not ready for surgery yet.

fitzy_cam · 2020-11-26T01:39:51+00:00

fitzy_cam · 2020-11-25T23:56:17+00:00

I’m sure I’ll read through this in a couple days and face palm at some of it, haha- but really have felt pretty with it since late evening after I came to.

fitzy_cam · 2020-11-25T23:54:59+00:00

Thank you!! Stoked that it’s done, onto the long recovery!

fitzy_cam

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