By Kim Nguyen, Staff Writer
Two-month-old twin boys visited Dr. Alexis Shelokov at the Baylor Scoliosis Center at the Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano.
The twins, Tristan and Coltan, were born to Tina Dooling, who was treated by Shelokov two years ago.
Dooling, a Saginaw resident, had heard of Shelokov through friends and other doctors, but was hesitant to seek his treatment because of the distance.
“I looked him up to read about his experience and decided to at least have a consultation,” Dooling said. “It wasn’t until our meeting when I decided that he was my doctor.”
In October 2006, Dooling underwent a complex, multi-house back surgery at Baylor Plano in which pins and rods were put in her back to straighten a 45 degree curvature in her spine. Dooling knew she had scoliosis for the majority of her life; she was just unsure to how severe the scoliosis was.
The Doolings wanted to start a family but Tina had been told that while pregnancy was possible, she may experience severe pain and may need to be on bed rest. At the end of August, she proved everyone wrong when she gave birth to Tristan and Coltan in what she called the “perfect pregnancy.”
“When we found out that I was pregnant, I immediately became concerned about back pain,” Dooling said. “Imagine how shocked I was when the OB/GYN told me that I was carrying twins!”
Dooling said she was in constant communiqué with Dr. Shelokov and his office throughout the pregnancy. She was concerned about strain put upon her back by the pregnancy, but the office staff were supportive and certain her back would OK.
“Women who have undergone surgery to correct scoliosis are often wary when it comes to pregnancy and delivery,” Shelokov said. “But fortunately, the operation that had is designed to facilitate pregnancy and an active adulthood and a good quality of life.”
Shelokov said it is mainly in the mindset of the patient that will determine the length of the post-operative recovery and rehabilitation.
“Tina was the perfect patient,” Shelokov said. “She brought to the table a lot of positivity.”
Dooling’s back curvature has been recently measured at 10 degrees.
Dr. Alexis P. Shelokov, M.D., is the Medical Director of the Baylor Scoliosis center and president of Consulting Orthopedics. He is an orthopedic spine surgeon who treats pediatric and adult scoliosis and kyphosis. In practice for more than 18 years, he has performed more than 6,000 spinal operations. Shelokov is one of only a few dozen surgeons in the United States who regularly perform scoliosis revision surgery on children and adults who have had unsuccessful treatment in the past. Shelokov is board certified by both the American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons and the American Board of Spine Surgeons. He is also a member of the Scoliosis Research Society, the North American Spine Society, the Texas Spine Society, the American College of Physician Executives, the American Medical Association and the Dallas Medical Society.
The Baylor Scoliosis Center is the first in the Dallas/Fort Worth area devoted to the treatment, surgery and care of advanced spine curvature in adults. It is a nationally recognized center of excellence in scoliosis diagnosis, research and treatment and is involved in an international outreach effort with physicians around the world. The Baylor Scoliosis Center has treated patients with severe deformities from nations throughout the world, including Korea, Russia and Latin America.
The Baylor Scoliosis Center at the Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano is located on the eighth floor of Medical Office Pavilion 1, 4708 Alliance Blvd. in Plano.
More information on the Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano can be found online at www.baylorhealth.com. More information on the Baylor Scoliosis Center can be found online at www.thebaylorscoliosiscenter.com.
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