Finding the right surgical approach for you

One things for sure finding out you have scoliosis and need major spinal surgery can be scary and hard. Knowing there are many different types of approaches to help fix your curve can complicate the decision a lot. These are important though since taking the surgical approach can have long lasting approaches for your life including movement, arthritis in the future, having kids, etc.

Finding the right orthopedic surgeon for your type of scoliosis and curve to manage you is the first step to facing oncoming surgery. After having x rays done and potentially a couple MRIS the surgeon will have options as to what approach may suit your lifestyle and your curve. Now what process do our orthopedic surgeons go through? Well they consider many things such as,

• Your age

• Your curve degree

• Your flexibility

• Your skeletal maturity

These things are important considerations since their are different approaches that require very flexible curves, suit younger ages over older age groups and other surgical approaches need the patient to be skeletally immature and still having growing to do. See below for the diagram comparing approaches.

A direct comparison of some newer scoliosis surgical approaches against the most common spinal fusion

VBT stands for vertebral body tethering it is mainly used in younger children who have growth left

Apifix is like an internal brace attached to one side of the spine with three screws

Spinal fusions are the most common technique that forms the vertebrae into one bone so no more curvature can occur within the operated site