Elderly Care: Helping You Deal With the Dying Process
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome & Spondylolisthesis? Minimally Invasive Spine Deformity Surgery Is Right For You
Julio Carr
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a disorder that involves faulty connective tissue due to a genetic problem with collagen. Many who have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome frequently dislocate joints and develop spinal deformities such as lumbosacral spondylolisthesis. Connective tissue with laxity as is seen in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome results in the inability for surgical scars to heal properly and is part of the reason why minimally invasive surgeries should be done whenever possible on patients who have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Here's what you need to know if you have been diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and have a spinal deformity.
Faulty Connective Tissue
Collagen is in connective tissue and is similar to glue in many ways. For people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, great care needs to be taken when performing surgeries — particularly open spine surgeries — on people with connective tissue disorders because the inability for the body to heal could easily result in a worsened condition than what the surgery is meant to repair. For example, performing a lumbar puncture or cutting into the dura (the connective tissue that protects the spinal cord) can result in essentially suctioning the cerebellar tonsils at the base of the brain towards or through the foramen magnum (the opening between the skull and the spinal column) producing an acquired Chiari malformation, which is a common comorbidity of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Because of this, minimally invasive surgeries on the spine are preferred over open surgical procedures.
Dislocating & Slipping of Joints
Joint dislocations and subluxations are common in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Since the vertebral column consists of joints, that includes dislocations and slippage of the vertebrae, which is a condition that is called spondylolisthesis. Spondylolisthesis is a spinal deformity resulting from the slippage of vertebra out of place and onto the vertebra below, which puts pressure on the nerves and causes intense nerve pain and difficulty with mobility. To correct the slippage, open surgical techniques involving fusions are typically performed on many patients who do not have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. However, due to the risks involved in Ehlers-Danlos patients, a minimally invasive spine deformity procedure involving the use of sagittal adjusting screws is ideal and not as risky for the patient as open surgical techniques.
With a diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, your surgeon should recognize that you are at higher risk for complications for open surgical procedures and that you should have minimally invasive spine deformity surgery instead of open surgical techniques that are often implemented.
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As an elderly care worker, I have witnessed the deaths of many individuals. I have seen family members become angry, sad, and completely silent at the end. I have also seen individuals refuse to see family members out of denial. People deal with death in different ways, and the strong emotions are often unfamiliar and scary. If you have a parent or grandparent who is elderly, then I want to share with you what I know about end of life care and dying process. We are a society that does not talk about death, and this can cause great pain when a family member dies. Learn about the process and find out how to deal with your own emotions and how to love your family members at the end. If there is only a small amount of time left, then I want you to cherish the final moments.