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WBIR Highlights Success of Scoliosis Surgeries with KOC’s Pediatric Team
East Tennessee teenagers Bristol and Jett describe growing discomfort before undergoing successful spinal fusion surgeries. Both Madisonville teens told WBIR they were diagnosed with scoliosis in childhood and experienced increasing pain and posture problems as they grew.
Bristol and Jett each underwent spinal fusion surgery with KOC’s pediatric surgeons, including Dr. J. Jay Crawford, and are both now starting school active and pain-free.
WBIR sat down with the teens as well as Dr. Crawford, who described what spinal fusion surgery entails and how gratifying it is to see young people standing straight and living full and active lives without pain.
Bristol and Jett are encouraging others to get screened and know there is help out there for the condition.
KOC is the only orthopaedic practice in East Tennessee with fellowship-trained pediatric orthopaedic specialists, including Dr. Crawford, Dr. Curtis Gaylord and Dr. Cameron Sears. The surgeons work together on spinal fusion surgeries, which permanently connect two or more vertebra in the spine to correct curvature and stabilize the spine.
Here is the story from WBIR:
MONROE COUNTY, Tennessee — The school year is underway at Sequoyah High School in Madisonville.
For Sophomores Bristol Williams and Jett Trammell, the first week of the new year was also an opportunity to celebrate both of them being able to pursue their interests without chronic pain caused by scoliosis.
“It sucked seeing my parents stress out about it,” Trammell said. “I don’t like being the reason people are stressing out and sad.”
Trammell said he had developed a hunch that ached constantly. His condition hadn’t stopped him from hanging out with his friends, being outdoors and doing other things he loved, but doctors at Knoxville Orthopedic Clinic determined that his condition would worsen over time, which resulted in Trammell having surgery last October.
Williams, 15, said doctors diagnosed her when she was nine. Williams, a competitive twirler, said she learned to work with her condition throughout middle school. She had to favor one side of her body while walking and struggled to be comfortable either standing or sitting throughout middle school.
“There were times I could barely move,” she said.
She had her surgery before her first year at Sequoyah High School. She committed to her rehab and even twirled for the school. She also told Jett what to expect from his recovery, which he said confined him to a bed for more than a month after his surgery.
Dr. Jay Crawford, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at KOC, said surgery was the only option for both teens based on the condition of their spines. Crawford said that’s never an easy conversation to have but was confident in the decision the surgical team made because of the progress in scoliosis treatment.
“These operations take us about one-and-half to two hours to do. A long time ago they took eight-to-10 hours,” he said.
He said decades of research by surgeons around the world has given doctors plenty of options for treatment. The key is diagnosing the condition as early as possible, which can be helped by regular check-ups with a doctor.
“We don’t let them do competitive athletics for about six months after surgery, but once they come to their six-month follow up and everything looks good, we turn them loose to do whatever they want to do in life,” he said.
Which is what Williams and Trammell have done.
Williams said she is excited to continue growing as a person in and out of the classroom. She was elected as an officer in her chapter of Future Farmers of America and is eager to be a leader on the school’s twirling team, which she said will compete against other teams for the first time this year.
For Trammell, recovery has involved diving, fishing, late nights with his friends and more. He said he’s excited to learn more about Biology this year.