We just don't think things through....

Was reading a long term study on scoliosis, particularly in patients who have had surgery and here is the take away:

1. there will be long term complications above and below any fixation
2. Fixing younger patients will actually cause increasing twisting of the spinal column
3. By removing a rib to decrease the rib hump caused by the curvature and twisting of the spinal column, lung capacity and flexibility will be impacted
4. breakage of implanted rods is not likely, it is inevitable

And so many more complications. Granted that >50 degree curvature is known to increase to a point of possibly causing death through the compression of the lungs and possibly the ribs impacting the heart.

So, the question is...how can intelligent people think that this kind of invasiveness would not have any long term implications? If they had been forthright and stated that there would be future complications, but given the alternatives at the time, then we could believe these intelligent people had thought things through.

Obviously NOT!

Add to that, that if we examine the true situation of this particular disease we find that immobilizing the spinal column has far more negative impacts and very little improvements versus the alternatives of exercise, massage therapy and bracing (all done carefully and with thought).

Bottom line, as with so many things we do as a human being, we jump to the first conclusion, do invasive things and move on without thinking of the long term effects. How many examples can you think of?