A herculean effort
changes the course for
one brave patient with
a rare bone disease
Tracy
Triumphs
Life likes to test Tracy Sudduth. Since childhood, she has undergone 16 surgeries for a
bone disorder called hereditary multiple exostoses. The disease involves the growth of
mostly benign bone tumors that can appear at any time, causing pain and discomfort.
ith each surgery to remove
the tumors, Mrs. Sudduth
recovered from the operations
and moved on with her life, eventually
getting married and having children.
However, the tumors always posed
some danger, because they can
wrap themselves around nerves and
W
muscles, impeding her function, and,
in rare (5 percent) cases, they may
be cancerous.
In 2003, when Mrs. Sudduth was
40 years old, she went to see former
Scott & White orthopaedic surgeon
George Brindley, MD, because the all
too familiar pain had returned. This
time, a large tumor about the size
of a softball was found in her back.
Dr. Brindley removed as much of the
tumor as he safely could while preserving
the vital function of her spine and pelvis.
Luckily, the tumor wasn’t cancerous, so
after the surgery Mrs. Sudduth gratefully
returned to life as usual.
sw.org | November 12 The Catalyst
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