Late Diagnosis of Scheuermann's Disease

[mbolte]

My question involves medical malpractice in the state of: Kansas

Hello all

I am new here and live in the state of Kansas. I am now 20, but when I was 13 years old, my mother noticed I had bad back posture. I also had some back pain. Well we went to our family doctor and he had me bend over and looked, and said its not scoliosis. There were several other times where he did that. Then he started taking X-rays. He would look at them and know there was something that wasn't right but just kinda "blow it off". Then finally at the age of 17 he sent me to get a scoliosis X-ray and then sent me to a back specialist in a larger town. He then took an X-ray and told me I had Scheuermann's Disease, which is cured two ways. If you are young enough like I was when I first went to the doctor a simple back brace for 6 months and your better. If your 17 and stopped growing by the time your diagnosed its an 8 hour long surgery, with 12 fused discs, two steel rods, and a full year recovery.

I was told by an old manager, that this could be a malpractice case, with bodily disfigurement, and a suit could get me in the millions. Is this the case, and do I have a possible suit for malpractice?

Let me know what you guys think, or if you need any possible missing information.

[lealea1005]

Without actually looking at your X-Rays, it's impossible to advise.

If you had Sheuermann's, then he was correct in stating you did not have scoliosis. Scheuermann's is more of a bowing of the back than an "S" shaped deformity. Even with early inervention and PT, the deformity will not decrease.

If the "old manager" (is he/she a Doctor?? )think you have a case for millions, hire a med/mal attorney who will obtain you medical records and have them reviewed by an expert.

Don't expect to receive eleventymillion dollars, a mansion and a yacht though.

Before you do that, why don't you get an opinion from an experienced sub-specialist in the field of spinal deformities at a larger teaching hospital? There are newer treatments now available. Good luck.

[mbolte]

First thanks for changing the title. That's much more descriptive.

It is true that I have Scheuermann's. What angers me is that when I was young and still growing it could have been prevented. Rather then leaving it until I was older. I went to the Doctor several times before he sent me to the back specialist. The specialist is a doctor at KU Med in Kansas City, Kansas. I asked if there was any thing else I could do to prevent surgery. He said physical therapy could reduce the pain, but the deformity and shape of my back would remain.

Thanks for the help!