Case Study: Alana Andersen

Meet Alana – OAA’s May Patient Ambassador, as well as the first-runner up in the Miss Pennsylvania Teen USA pageant. Prior to her surgery with Dr. Jeffrey McConnell, Alana suffered from the signs and symptoms of scoliosis. The pain and strain of this condition made everyday tasks, including sleeping, difficult. Her condition also kept Alana on the sidelines of some of her volleyball games. “Sometimes after strenuous activity, my back would hurt so badly, I had trouble standing up straight,” says Alana. In addition to these physical hardships, Alana was also impacted emotionally. “I was self-conscious of my disfigured torso and the way clothes looked on me.”

Scoliosis is a deformity of the spine where the spine predominantly bends or curves to the side. Most cases of scoliosis are known as “idiopathic” where the curve occurs in otherwise healthy adolescents. Idiopathic scoliosis is an inherited or genetic condition where it tends to occur in people where there is a family history of the disorder. The curvature is usually diagnosed after the age of 8 and before the age of 16. This form of scoliosis is actually quite common; however in most cases the curvature of the spine is mild and never requires any treatment. Approximately 15-20% of cases will progress to a point that may require treatment and the potential of surgery.

Alana was one of the 15-20% of individuals that required surgery to correct her spine, and she sought the expertise of Dr. Jeffrey McConnell of OAA’s Spine Center of Excellence. Dr. McConnell has been a board certified orthopaedic surgeon for 22 years and devotes his entire practice to treating disorders of the spine. “I have a subspecialty interest in treating spinal deformities like scoliosis and performing motion preservation surgery, particularly disc replacement surgery in the neck,” says Dr. McConnell. Dr. McConnell is also the founding member of Operation Straight Spine – a nonprofit organization that has been providing much needed care to the many indigent patients from Kolkata, India and surrounding regions, who suffer with spinal disorders.

Dr. McConnell performed a five hour surgical intervention on Alana’s spine. Her spine was straightened by using two rods attached to multiple vertebrae. Following the surgery, Alana was prepared for a long road to recovery. “The recovery after surgery was extremely difficult the first couple of weeks, but that was expected after a surgery of such severity. I was in the hospital for about a week until I returned home for the holidays. Having some issues with my medication, Doctor McConnell took time out of his Thanksgiving Day festivities to talk with me on the phone about my issues and pain level.” After about a month, Alana started to see some significant progress in her recovery, and finally returned to school after two months. Several months after that, she started living her normal life – including participating in athletic activities.

When asked if Alana would recommend OAA Orthopaedic Specialists to family and friends, she stated: “Absolutely. Thanks to Doctor McConnell, I was able to compete in the Miss Pennsylvania Teen USA Pageant. I was actually going to compete the year prior, but needed the surgery instead. Once my back was straightened and I felt more confident, I was able to compete to represent all of Pennsylvania and ended up placing First Runner Up in my first beauty pageant ever. My on-stage interview questions dealt with my surgery and my recovery and therefore, I was able to talk about how something so positive came from something so negative. I had the chance to tell the judges, audience, and other competitors my success story and that all thanks were due to Doctor McConnell and his expertise.”

It is remarkable to hear how Alana’s surgery has impacted her life in such a positive way. It is patients like Alana that make Dr. McConnell and his colleagues at OAA so passionate about their work. “I enjoy the challenges I am faced with in diagnosing and treating many different spinal disorders, but what I enjoy most is making a difference in someone’s life through corrective surgery,” says McConnell.