Spine Surgery Day for Owen

It was a day everyone knew was coming. That fact did not make the 5 a.m. wake- up call any easier.

The anxious, excited, and sleepy Earl family from Cambridge, MN had spent the night at a downtown St. Paul hotel so they would have an easier time making their 6 a.m. check-in at Gillette Children’s.

After months of planning, it was time for 13-year-old Owen to have spinal fusion surgery with Gillette orthopedic surgeon, Tenner Guillaume, MD.

“We had a view of Gillette from our hotel window, so we had an easier time falling asleep knowing we were walking distance from the hospital,” Owen’s dad, Mike says with a smile as he arrived at the surgery check-in desk.

The Earl family has a long relationship with Gillette. In March 2016 Dr. Guillaume implanted two magnetically driven growing rods, known as MAGEC ® rods, in Owen’s back to straighten his spine and help correct a curvature from scoliosis.

MAGEC rods are one of the first ways to treat early onset scoliosis (EOS). EOS is when a child under age 10 has a curve in their spine that’s greater than 10 degrees. The MAGEC rods are surgically placed on either side of the spine to help control the curve. The rods are magnetic and can be lengthened with a remote control device every three to six months in a doctor’s office. One of the main benefits of this treatment is that the rods can expand as the child grows and this often eliminates the need for repeated surgeries and reduces the chance of infection.

Owen was diagnosed with scoliosis when he was 1 after his parents brought him to the emergency room for what they feared was pneumonia.

“At the emergency room they took an x-ray of Owen’s lungs, and it confirmed pneumonia and to our surprise it also showed a curve in his spine,” his dad, Mike, recalls.

The Earls came to Gillette and the spine team customized a scoliosis treatment plan for Owen. He was put in a cast at first and then he wore a brace until he was in kindergarten. That’s when the Gillette spine team determined Owen was a candidate for MAGEC rod surgery.

Gillette began offering MAGEC ® rod implantation surgery in 2014. Dr. Guillaume is a national leader and expert in MAGEC rod surgery.

“We are so lucky Owen came to Gillette and had the MAGEC rod surgery,” Mike says. “Because of the MAGEC rods we’ve been spared at least 18 surgeries. The rod adjustments are done with a magnet and are not invasive, so Owen came to Gillette a few times a year so Dr. Guillaume could lengthen his rods as he grew.”

Owen is doing well and maturing from a child to a teenager. To everyone’s amazement, the original set of MAGEC rods were still in his back. Yes, the same set he received at Gillette as a kindergartner were with him as he entered 7th grade. These rods are typically replaced every 2 to 3 years.

Dr. Guillaume determined it was time for Owen to have a more permanent solution for his scoliosis and recommended spine fusion surgery.

"Our primary goal in treating Owen’s scoliosis was to encourage and allow appropriate lung development to support his high level of activity, not only as a teenager but as an adult as well. By this point we have accomplished that,” Guillaume says.

“We have prevented his curve from progressing, we have allowed him to grow and mature, and we’ve enabled the development of adult-ready, healthy lungs. Given that we recommended ‘graduation’ from his growing rods in the form of a definitive fusion. This is how most all growing rod stories end, so to speak,” Guillaume adds.  

Spine fusion involves joining two or more individual bones to make one unit. In a posterior fusion, the spine surgeon goes through the patient’s back and attaches screws or anchors to the individual bones of the curve, connects the anchors with smooth rods, and then moves the spine into a straighter position. Patients who undergo spinal fusion surgery might lose some flexibility in their back but should still be able to participate in activities like sports.

At 6:15 a.m. Mike and Dani Earl join their brave but anxious son, Owen, in his pre-surgery room as he changes into a hospital gown and prepares for his spine surgery.

Gillette nurse, Teresa Nierste, gives Owen four tablets to take. She explains this will help him relax. About 30 minutes later a member of the anesthesia team arrives and explains how he will numb Owen’s arm with a topical lotion before giving him an IV needle. This reassures Owen a bit (he’s not a fan of needles) and Owen reaches for his mother’s hand as the needle goes into his arm. Owen reports he “didn’t really feel anything.”

At 7:11 a.m. nurse Nierste returns and plugs in a special body warmer to help Owen relax. The body warmer also increases Owen’s core body temperature and helps to prevent hypothermia later in surgery.

A minute later a cheerful Dr. Guillaume enters the room and gives the Earl family a detailed explanation of what to expect this morning. He says Owen’s surgery will start around 8:30 and should take about four hours.

Dr. Guillaume asks the family if they would like to keep the MAGEC rods currently in Owen’s back. Mike Earl enthusiastically says, “YES!” Owen and Dani smile and shake their heads. They’re not entirely sure keeping the rods is a good idea.

Mike and Dani Earl are a mixture of nerves and confidence as the Gillette teams pops in an out of Owen’s pre-op room. The Earls believe Dr. Guillaume is the best surgeon for Owen’s condition, but, like every parent, they’re anxious to have their son’s surgery day behind them.

Dr. Guillaume tells Mike and Dani that a nurse in the operating room will call them every hour to give them an update on Owen’s surgery. They can also watch a monitor in the waiting area to get news of Owen’s progress in surgery. Owen’s name appears on the monitor screen in a code to protect his privacy while providing frequent updates for his parents.

Dr. Guillaume assures Owen that everything will be fine and that he does not expect a lot out of him today. “I’ll stop by your room this evening and, if you’re up for it, I’ll ask you to try to sit up in bed,” Guillaume says. He tells the Earls that he’ll be in Owen’s hospital room in the morning and wants to be there when Owen takes his first post-surgery steps.

Dr. Guillaume leaves to prepare for the surgery and Karla Shaitberger from the Gillette Child Life team comes into say hello. Child life specialists at Gillette work to make a child feel at ease before and during hospital stays and medical procedures. The Earls are happy to see her. “We remember you from one of Owen’s previous surgeries!” Dani says.

Shaitberger explains that she’ll make sure Owen has access to games and activities during his hospital stay. “We’ll keep him entertained,” she assures.

At 7:19 a.m. nurse Teresa Nierste returns and gives Owen a fleece blanket featuring dogs. The blankets are made by Gillette volunteers. Owen’s own dog, a Goldendoodle named Luna, is anxiously waiting for him to return home. Owen says he already misses his dog and his younger brother and sister who are back home in Cambridge staying with friends.

Owen seems delighted with the dog blanket but after thinking it over for a few minutes he announces he wants his mom to have the blanket so she can cuddle with it while he’s in surgery. Dani is touched and seems close to tears.

A big IV pole comes into the room at 7:22 a.m. Owen is given some strong medicine via IV to help him drift off to sleep.

At 7:25 a.m. the surgery transport team comes to wheel Owen to the operating room. Mike and Dani give Owen a few kisses and last-minute reassurances. A sleepy Owen is wheeled down the long white hallway and into surgery.

Mike and Dani Earl gather up their overnight bags and are escorted into the waiting area. They see the monitors, look for Owen’s coded name, and try to get comfortable as they wait.

“We’re so grateful for the monitors and the calls from the surgery nurses,” Mike says. “When you’re a parent, every minute your child is in surgery seems like hours. They know this at Gillette and really try to give parents and families lots of support and updates. We appreciate that.”

It was a long but successful day for the Earl family.

“It seemed like the surgery took forever,” Mike says with a laugh. “We kept tabs on Owen’s progress by looking at the monitors and the nurses were great and called us often with updates.”

“Dr. Guillaume came out to the waiting room around 2:30,” Mike recalls. “Dr. Guillaume said he was pleased with the surgery and that Owen was being wheeled back to the recovery room. It was a relief to see Owen. He was groggy but he looked good.”

Mike and Dani Earl say the entire team at Gillette is supportive and tries their best to help families on surgery day.

“Everyone at Gillette is super helpful and kind,” Mike says. “They make you feel as good as possible. For them this is just a regular workday—but they know it’s not a regular day for families. Everyone really thinks about the patients and the families and that makes all the difference.”