Tony's Major Scoliosis Surgeries
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( Attention anyone translating this into Greek! The translation button is NOT accurately translating the text correctly!)
( ΕΝΗΜΕΡΩΣΗ!!
Η ελληνική μετάφραση από Αγγλικα στα Ελληνικα από τη ανάρρωση του Αντώνη δεν είναι σωστή. Σας παρακαλώ να τα διαβάζετε μόνο στα Αγγλικά. Μερικές λέξεις δεν μεταφράζονται καθόλου σωστά.
Σας ευχαριστώ)
My name is Elias Georgaras. I am setting up this GoFundMe page for my brother, Tony. Any donations will go directly toward hospital costs, rehab, and home equipment that Tony will need. Any donations will be withdrawn and directly forwarded to my brother.
Tony was diagnosed with scoliosis when he was 4 years old and had his first major surgery involving corrective instrumentation fusion the following year, at the age of 5 at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He was in the ICU and monitored in the hospital for two weeks. Tony had to heal through 50 stitches down his spine and from his upper right quadrant of his back running along his right side along his ribs downward towards the outer abdomen.
After being discharged from the hospital, Tony had to wear an upper body brace, that completely covered his upper torso for 5 years, until his 2nd surgery.
In 1997, at the age of 10 he had a second major surgery that involved additional instrumentation fusion. Hospitalization lasted for about 2 weeks and several weeks of recovery.
Fast forward to adulthood, Tony has been suffering the following diagnoses:
-Chronic back pain and abdominal pain
-Degenerative Disc Disease
-Stenosis
-Pseudarthrosis
-Coronal Imbalance
-Sagittal Imbalance
-Neurofibromatosis
-Flat Back Syndrome
-Kyphosis
-Spondylolisthesis
In 2015, Tony spent roughly 3 months bedridden due to excruciating pain with several visits to the Emergency Room at York Hospital and Memorial Hospital. His doctors prescribed him a slew of different pain management medications but none provided any relief. He finally found partial relief when he was prescribed a nerve block from Hershey Medical Center.
The hospitals Tony has been through over the years for his spinal deformity include:
-York Hospital
-Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
-Hershey Medical Center
-OSS Health
-Memorial Hospital
-NewYork-Presbyterian The Allen Hospital
The underlying theme for Tony's complex deformity was the doctors from previous hospitals did not have the capacity to provide the help he needs.
But there was hope
It wasn't until Dr. Vagmin Vora (Hershey Medical) highly recommended us to do whatever it takes to start Tony's journey with Dr. Lawrence Lenke. He told us that he would be one of the only surgeons in the country that has the expertise to operate on Tony's severe and complex spinal deformity.
It's been a battle trying to get Tony paired up with Dr. Lenke, who is now the Chief, Division of Spinal Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian The Allen Hospital. Originally Dr. Lenke was in St. Louis, Missouri. Our family has been trying to get to St. Louis for the first 2 years on a waiting list until we finally found out that Dr. Lenke transferred to NYC, which made it much more convenient for our family.
Dr. Lenke is world-renowned for the surgical treatment of pediatric and adult patients with various forms of spinal anomalies, with expertise in the most complex deformities. Thus, he is a leading authority on such spinal deformities as scoliosis, kyphosis, flatback syndrome, high-grade spondylolisthesis, and major coronal and sagittal malalignment.
See all of Dr. Lenke's awards and honors
After 3 years of back and forth exchanges with hospitals and insurance companies, we have finally reached Tony's surgery week.
Tony's surgical plan is broken up into two surgeries:
Stage 1 - Monday, March 5th, 2018 (12 hour surgery)
-Instrumentation Removal (from 1992 and 1997 surgeries) | T3-L4
-Posterior Spinal Segmental Instrumentation | C7-L4
-Thoracoplasty (Removal of 6 ribs)
Stage 2 - Monday, March 12th, 2018 (12 hour surgery)
-Posterior Spinal Fusion | C7-L4
-Posterior Column Osteotomy
-Pedicle Subtraction Osteotomy
-Vertebral Column Resection | T7-T8
-Anterior Spinal Fusion | T6-T9
-Decompression
-Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion
INSURANCE-WISE, WE ARE OUT OF NETWORK. Which means insurance will not cover 100% of the costs. The entire process is forecasting to reach upward of seven figures, $2,400,000+. We are also unsure of what his post-surgical costs will involve:
-Inpatient Rehab / Therapy
-Home equipment
-Follow-up visits, xRays, Scans, etc.
Our family is by his side all the way as we have taken off work for several weeks and planned shifts for being by his side.
Any contribution you are able to lend Tony and our family a hand with will be forever appreciated. Tony's biggest dream to "feel like a normal person" will come to fruition with your help.
Thank you everyone for your donations in advance, as well as your thoughts and prayers.
Please SHARE this page via Facebook if possible.
Love you all,
The Georgaras/Karageorge Family
( Attention anyone translating this into Greek! The translation button is NOT accurately translating the text correctly!)
( ΕΝΗΜΕΡΩΣΗ!!
Η ελληνική μετάφραση από Αγγλικα στα Ελληνικα από τη ανάρρωση του Αντώνη δεν είναι σωστή. Σας παρακαλώ να τα διαβάζετε μόνο στα Αγγλικά. Μερικές λέξεις δεν μεταφράζονται καθόλου σωστά.
Σας ευχαριστώ)
My name is Elias Georgaras. I am setting up this GoFundMe page for my brother, Tony. Any donations will go directly toward hospital costs, rehab, and home equipment that Tony will need. Any donations will be withdrawn and directly forwarded to my brother.
Tony was diagnosed with scoliosis when he was 4 years old and had his first major surgery involving corrective instrumentation fusion the following year, at the age of 5 at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He was in the ICU and monitored in the hospital for two weeks. Tony had to heal through 50 stitches down his spine and from his upper right quadrant of his back running along his right side along his ribs downward towards the outer abdomen.
After being discharged from the hospital, Tony had to wear an upper body brace, that completely covered his upper torso for 5 years, until his 2nd surgery.
In 1997, at the age of 10 he had a second major surgery that involved additional instrumentation fusion. Hospitalization lasted for about 2 weeks and several weeks of recovery.
Fast forward to adulthood, Tony has been suffering the following diagnoses:
-Chronic back pain and abdominal pain
-Degenerative Disc Disease
-Stenosis
-Pseudarthrosis
-Coronal Imbalance
-Sagittal Imbalance
-Neurofibromatosis
-Flat Back Syndrome
-Kyphosis
-Spondylolisthesis
In 2015, Tony spent roughly 3 months bedridden due to excruciating pain with several visits to the Emergency Room at York Hospital and Memorial Hospital. His doctors prescribed him a slew of different pain management medications but none provided any relief. He finally found partial relief when he was prescribed a nerve block from Hershey Medical Center.
The hospitals Tony has been through over the years for his spinal deformity include:
-York Hospital
-Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
-Hershey Medical Center
-OSS Health
-Memorial Hospital
-NewYork-Presbyterian The Allen Hospital
The underlying theme for Tony's complex deformity was the doctors from previous hospitals did not have the capacity to provide the help he needs.
But there was hope
It wasn't until Dr. Vagmin Vora (Hershey Medical) highly recommended us to do whatever it takes to start Tony's journey with Dr. Lawrence Lenke. He told us that he would be one of the only surgeons in the country that has the expertise to operate on Tony's severe and complex spinal deformity.
It's been a battle trying to get Tony paired up with Dr. Lenke, who is now the Chief, Division of Spinal Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian The Allen Hospital. Originally Dr. Lenke was in St. Louis, Missouri. Our family has been trying to get to St. Louis for the first 2 years on a waiting list until we finally found out that Dr. Lenke transferred to NYC, which made it much more convenient for our family.
Dr. Lenke is world-renowned for the surgical treatment of pediatric and adult patients with various forms of spinal anomalies, with expertise in the most complex deformities. Thus, he is a leading authority on such spinal deformities as scoliosis, kyphosis, flatback syndrome, high-grade spondylolisthesis, and major coronal and sagittal malalignment.
See all of Dr. Lenke's awards and honors
After 3 years of back and forth exchanges with hospitals and insurance companies, we have finally reached Tony's surgery week.
Tony's surgical plan is broken up into two surgeries:
Stage 1 - Monday, March 5th, 2018 (12 hour surgery)
-Instrumentation Removal (from 1992 and 1997 surgeries) | T3-L4
-Posterior Spinal Segmental Instrumentation | C7-L4
-Thoracoplasty (Removal of 6 ribs)
Stage 2 - Monday, March 12th, 2018 (12 hour surgery)
-Posterior Spinal Fusion | C7-L4
-Posterior Column Osteotomy
-Pedicle Subtraction Osteotomy
-Vertebral Column Resection | T7-T8
-Anterior Spinal Fusion | T6-T9
-Decompression
-Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion
INSURANCE-WISE, WE ARE OUT OF NETWORK. Which means insurance will not cover 100% of the costs. The entire process is forecasting to reach upward of seven figures, $2,400,000+. We are also unsure of what his post-surgical costs will involve:
-Inpatient Rehab / Therapy
-Home equipment
-Follow-up visits, xRays, Scans, etc.
Our family is by his side all the way as we have taken off work for several weeks and planned shifts for being by his side.
Any contribution you are able to lend Tony and our family a hand with will be forever appreciated. Tony's biggest dream to "feel like a normal person" will come to fruition with your help.
Thank you everyone for your donations in advance, as well as your thoughts and prayers.
Please SHARE this page via Facebook if possible.
Love you all,
The Georgaras/Karageorge Family
Organizer
Eli Georgaras
Organizer
New York, NY
