corrective surgery on kids?

Have you had a second opinion? Was this a result of something at birth or other?

I had problems with my legs from an issue before I was born, but the doctors put a bar on my feet to straighten them which didn't fully fix the problem.

I'd strongly advise you find a children's hospital (Shriners, etc) and have a second opinion. That way you can be certain you did everything you could.

(And just to help your mind - men don't want to admit that anything is or could be wrong with their kids...that's why we Mom's are so persistent!)

Good Luck!

Children heal better than adults. Get the surgery done now. He will heal faster and have the possibility of being normal. Your child is still growing so his bones won't scar as they would with an adult. Think also of the social affects of having a disorder that makes him different. Other children can be very cruel and this can affect your child's self esteem for the rest of his life.

As far as your husband. He has the luxury of not wanting to deal with it. They are not his ankles. Ask him to try and consider what is best for your child, and not just his own feelings on the subject. What advice would he give a friend whose child needed surgery?

This is not like cosmetic surgery where you just want him to look normal. The result of the surgery has an effect on his entire life. I wouldn't consider it elective or unnecessary.

Are you crazy? Your kid has a chance to lead a normal life and you and your husband are against it? If you don't trust the doc see another one. Which you should do before any major surgery. He is young this would be the ideal time to do the surgery. Do your son right!!! What kind of resentment is he going to have at you when he is 16 and sees kids doing things that he could of done. It is not fair to your son. Yes the journey of recovery will be hard, but what it will yield is a normal life for your son. Get over yourselves.

how are your teeth aside from the underbite? I had a very bad bite since I was little. as in, I could put a straw perpendicular to my teeth, bite down, and not kink the straw. had some underbite/overbite (can't remember which it was, my jaw was slightly too long so my lower teeth were a little forward of my top teeth. and my teeth weren't that good to begin with, AND (to be honest) I didn't take care of them very well. in essence, the primary, overwhelming flaw in my body was that my teeth/mouth were TERRIBLE. they had identified this as a problem when I was like, 10, but wanted to wait until I stopped growing to get to it, hoping it would largely grow out. had at one time, heard of/read/whatever a procedure where they saw throught he jaw, take out a small piece, and fasten it back together. I figured I'd probably get that and it'd be great. heres the bad news for you. you still have probably another 5-6 years until you are finished growing. so unless its *extremely* bad, like.. really really really bad bite, they probably will want to wait til you finish growing to have a surgery like that. personally... at 25-ish I had all my teeth taken out, and got full dentures. for me, by time I had that done, the forward/backward misalignment had grown out to a point where the dentures could compensate for it almost entirely. (into it being quite acceptable) and now things are great

I had corrective surgery on my jaw when I was 12yrs old. I know for that specific surgery they had to wait until I was finished growing my jaw, but IF I could have had it done earlier I sure would have wanted to. I spend years and years, not smiling, or grimacing or just not liking my pictures.

Your child's co-ordination and his belief in his ability to learn to be active and athletic will be defined in these formative years.

I can't tell you what is right for your child, that is still your decision, and I am glad I don't have to make it, it is scary. But I can tell you that IF it were my child, I would beg, borrow or steal to get the operation done.

Hope that helps

If it will affect his upbringing and later life it is the right thing to do

I had corrective surgery when I was 5 and am glad for it

My tendons were too short and I would still be walking on tiptoes if I never had it done

It can affect you emotionally when other kids make fun of you for something you cant help also

If it's causing problems now,it definantly will in the future.It needs to be decided on as quick as possible.The younger he is,the easier it will be for him to adjust and for his body to heal correctly.

Does he not think his son might want to someday play some kind of sports or simply run around and play tag with his friends?If he is struggling that much now it won't get much better.If you are able to make his life better and easier I'd think it'd be kind of cruel not to.

You are talking about the quality of life your son will experience later on in life, the decision to have your child operated on is a very, very difficult one, but better to have it done now (IMHO). He will thank you later on.

I've seen this kind of corrective surgery work. I wouldn't wait too long it becomes more difficult as they get older.

get it done before he goes to school as he might be picked on for being different and might feel excluded from some situations