If you choose surgery, you’ll have lots of questions.
Will it hurt? How long does it take? How long am I in the hospital?
At Medtronic, we understand your concerns and developed our with patients in mind.
Around 27,000 cases of scoliosis each year are serious enough to require surgery.
Spinal fusion is the most frequently performed surgical procedure to correct severe scoliosis.
Is scoliosis surgery right for you?
If you know that you have scoliosis, there are several things to take into consideration when discussing treatment options with your doctor:
Degree and extent of your curve
How severe is your scoliosis and how does it affect your lifestyle?
Your spinal maturity
Is your spine still growing and changing?
Location of your curve
Do you have a thoracic (upper spine) curve, a thoracolumbar (middle spine) curve or lumbar (lower spine) curve?
Potential for progression
Do you have a curve that is likely to worsen?
It is important that you discuss the benefits and risks of scoliosis surgery with your doctor. Only you and your doctor can decide if scoliosis surgery is right for you.
What to expect?
Surgery is an option used primarily for severe scoliosis (curves greater than 45 degrees) or for curves that do not respond to bracing. Surgery has two main goals – to stop a curve from progressing and to correct spinal deformity.
There are various techniques used for scoliosis surgery. One type of surgery involves posterior spinal fusion with instrumentation and bone grafting. This surgery is performed through the patient's back while the patient lies on his or her stomach.
During this type of surgery, the surgeon attaches a metal rod to each side of the patient's spine by using hooks or screws attached to the vertebral bodies. Then, the surgeon fuses the spine with a piece of bone from the patient's hip (a bone graft).
The bone grows in between the vertebrae and holds them together and straight. This process is called spinal fusion. The metal rods attached to the spine ensure that the backbone remains straight while the spinal fusion takes place. The CD Horizon® System is used in this type of surgery.
The operation usually takes several hours. With recent advances in technology, patients are sometimes released from the hospital within a week of surgery and do not require post-operative bracing. Many patients are able to return to school or work in 2 to 4 weeks after the surgery. Many are able to resume all pre-operative activities within 4 to 6 months.
Another surgery option for scoliosis is an anterior approach, which means that the surgery is conducted through the chest walls instead of entering through the patient's back. The patient lies on his or her side during the surgery. During this procedure, the surgeon makes incisions in the patient's side, deflates the lung, and removes a rib in order to reach the spine.
Life after surgery
People who have had fusion surgery using Medtronic’s system are usually back to school or work within 2 to 4 weeks. And the best part is they can often resume the things they love to do within a few months. By 9 or 10 months, some people have even gone back to strenuous activities like gymnastics, soccer, and basketball.
After the operation, you will be brought to the recovery room or intensive care unit (ICU) for observation.
Members of your surgical team may ask you to respond to some simple commands, such as "wiggle your fingers and toes" and "take deep breaths." When you awaken, you will be lying on your back, which may seem surprising, given that scoliosis surgery is often performed through an incision in the back. However, lying on your back is not harmful to the surgical area.
During your hospital stay, you will get additional instructions from your nurses and other members of your surgical teams regarding your diet and activity.
In most cases, your surgeon will want you to get out of bed on the first or second day after your surgery. Nurses and physical therapists will assist you with this activity until you feel comfortable enough to get up and move around on your own.
Daily living
Before you are discharged from the hospital, your doctor and other members of the hospital staff will give you additional self-care instructions for you to follow at home – a list of "dos and don'ts," which you will be asked to follow for the first 6 to 8 weeks of your home recovery.
Follow up with your doctor on a regular basis during this post-operative period. Make sure to call your doctor if you have any concerns or questions.
With recent advances in technology, most patients are released within a week of surgery and do not require post-operative bracing. Most patients are able to return to school or work in 2 to 4 weeks after the surgery and are able to resume all pre-operative activities within 4 to 6 months.
After the recovery process, most patients return to leading their normal active lives.
Personal stories
Read about the experiences of people who have received our products and therapies. You’ll learn first-hand what life was like for these particular patients, both before and after treatment.
Questions and answers
Nothing can replace a conversation with your doctor. But we do have answers to a few common questions about scoliosis and scoliosis surgery.