How to Know if You Require Scoliosis Surgery?

Upon learning that they or their child have scoliosis, people typically wonder what to do next. And so many things affect the answer. It's crucial to first clarify what scoliosis is and the potential effects it may have on a person.

What is Scoliosis?
The curvature of the spine that is most frequently diagnosed in teenagers is called scoliosis. Scoliosis is diagnosed by medical professionals by taking a spine x-ray and conducting a physical examination.

Healthcare professionals can determine whether a child's spine resembles a "S" or a "C" rather than a straight line by looking at the x-ray. Experts in medicine state that while a small curvature of the spine may be normal, a curvature of 10 degrees or more is indicative of scoliosis.

Scoliosis comes in three primary forms:
- Idiopathic Scoliosis: a kind of scoliosis when the cause of the curvature is unknown
- Neuromuscular Scoliosis: this kind of scoliosis is linked to several disorders that cause imbalances in the muscles supporting the spine, including spinal muscular atrophy, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, and spina bifida.
- Congenital Scoliosis: this is a relatively uncommon condition that results from aberrant prenatal spinal development.

What Are Some Scoliosis Treatment Options?
Any treatment aims to prevent the curve from worsening. If you are identified with scoliosis at a young age and given the right care, surgery is often not necessary. Patients with moderate scoliosis, in which there is no longer any growth in the spine, can engage in normal activities and are not restricted in any way when it comes to sports or physical activity.

When Is Scoliosis Surgery Needed?
Individuals who have more pronounced curves are more likely to have curves that worsen as they get older. This may affect one's quality of life and be more challenging to fix. Surgery is necessary if the curvature of the spine is 45 degrees or greater.

There are three scoliosis surgery options:

Spinal fusion
A spinal fusion creates a single unit out of two or more separate bones. There are two methods for doing this: anterior fusion surgery and posterior fusion surgery. The most frequent procedure for treating scoliosis is posterior fusion surgery, which involves cutting through the patient's back to fix most bends. The bones of the curves are fastened with screws or anchors, and the anchors are joined by smooth rods. The spine is then adjusted to a more erect posture. Anterior fusion surgery is an additional alternative to fusion surgery. By fusing the front of the spine, doctors can stop some curves from advancing at this point. Sometimes, they put in screws and a smooth rod to secure the spine.

Vertebral body tethering
Without requiring spinal fusion surgery, vertebral body tethering is utilized to regulate the body's growth to repair the spine. Together, general surgeons and spine surgeons must assist in this surgery. To accomplish this, surgeons make a little incision on the stomach or chest. Next, screws were inserted into the external corners of the curved backbones, and a tether was used to secure them.

The tether is tightened in a way that permits the inside portion of the curve to continue developing while slowing down the growth of the outside portion. This is critical because, with time, the body's normal growth may help to correct the curve. The patient must fulfill several strict requirements to be considered for this surgery, as the outcome relies on the growth of the spine.

Magnetically Controlled Growing Rods
Surgeons can assist a child's spine in growing by using special rods that are controlled by magnets. After being surgically implanted into the spine, these rods can be gradually extended every few months. An external remote control can be used for this. These rods are intended to prevent the curvature from getting worse and allow the spine to continue growing without the need for numerous procedures.