A Patient’s Guide to Scoliosis Surgery

If you are dealing with severe scoliosis then your spine surgeon may recommend you to undergo for the surgery to fix your condition. Spine surgeons at hospitals under Spine Surgery India only suggest spine surgery to adults as their spine has reached spinal maturity. With our increased age, degenerative changes in our spine become more common and this also means that your scoliosis will only continue to worsen.

In case, your child is dealing with scoliosis then your spine surgeon will recommend non-surgical treatments first and this includes that your spine surgeon use braces to prevent the curve from progressing; they also suggest physical therapy which helps in strengthening the back muscles, and chiropractic care to realign the spine.

According to the study, none of these methods can reverse the damage that which has already been done. There are chances when your scoliosis is so severe and your spine surgeon has no other option left apart from surgery which they need to perform immediately. It has been found that severe scoliosis occurs in children due to Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome which means the lungs of the child are not develop properly and the spine is compressing the chest. In such a case, the spine surgeon will recommend the surgery to a child that helps in restoring the lung function and promote healthy lung development.

What are the Surgical Treatments to Treat Scoliosis?

There are different surgical treatments options are available at the hospitals under Spine surgery India to treat Scoliosis. As each person and each spinal curve are different, each individual may require a different approach. The following are some of the most common surgeries for scoliosis:

a) Anterior Spine Surgery: To control the curvature of your spine, your spine surgeon may perform two surgeries. The first surgery they perform is known as anterior spinal fusion and the second one is posterior spinal fusion. These two surgeries are completed on the same day or it will take a week to complete while you are in the hospital. During anterior spinal fusion, your spine surgeon will operate on the front of your spine and they will make an incision on your horizontal side. As the incision is made near your lungs area your surgeon will insert a chest tube next to the incision to keep your lungs working properly. Your surgeon will remove the chest tube within two to three days after your surgery.

b) Posterior Spine Fusion: This is a surgery in which your spine surgeon will attach two rods to your spine. He/she will use wires, hooks or screws to attach the rods to your spine. The purpose of placing these rods is that it will correct and support your spine until the fusion becomes solid. During surgery, the spine surgeon will also place a bone graft on the vertebrae which is the bones in your back in the area of the curve. The bone graft and the vertebrae will grow or fuse together so that a solid backbone is formed which prevent your spine curve from getting worse. The bones to get fuse together will take around four to five months.

c) Growth Modulation Surgery: This surgery is usually for the people who are young and have a fairly small scoliosis curve which will be at higher risk of getting worse. In such cases, your surgeon will insert a small device on the most curved area of your spine and this will change the growth of your spine and also allow the area to straighten with growth. This is a procedure which prevents the need for a larger spinal fusion with rods. Your surgeon will insert these devices by using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), which is a minimally invasive technique. With the help of VATS, your surgeon will operate on the front of your spine by making a few small incisions on your side which decrease the size of the surgical scars.

d) Growing Rods: Sometimes, there are cases where the patients are too young for spine fusion but the curve which they have is too big for growth modulation, casting or bracing. In such cases, the spine surgeons at the hospitals under Spine Surgery India use growing rods which allow as much growth as possible before fusing the patient’s spine. The surgeon will place these rods along the spine and lengthened intermittently. This procedure will help in controlling the amount of curve progression while still allows the spine to grow.

What is After Scoliosis Surgery?

After your Scoliosis Surgery in India, you will be kept for about two hours under the post-anesthesia care unit. After that, you will be shifted to the hospital room and the other staff members will monitor your regular routine which consists of the following:

• The assigned nurse of yours will help you to take a turn in bed every two hours so you’re your back will not become stiff and sore because of lying in one position.
• You will be asked to do some simple leg exercises so that your muscles are in tone and your nurse will show you how to do these exercises before the surgery, and will also help you afterward.
• Your nurse will also teach you how to do breathing exercises by using a device called an incentive spirometer. This device will help you take deep breaths so that your lungs are clear.
• Your nurse will also monitor your temperature, pulse, respiration and blood pressure every two hours. All your exercises and monitoring will take place about every two hours for several days after your surgery and you need to tell your nurse how you are feeling before getting discharge from the hospital.

Once you return home from the hospital you can resume your normal activities gradually as your surgery will take some time to get all your strength back. Increase your activity gradually which helps to heal your back and you will feel better. After a month of your surgery, you will be able to return to your work and your surgeon will give some specific instructions about physical activities which you need to perform on a daily basis.

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