Spinal Fusion for the Treatment of Idiopathic Scoliosis in Children: Orthopedic Surgery to Treat Curvature of the Back in Children and Teenagers
Edited By: Kit M. Song, M.D.
Last updated Thursday, October 20, 2005
Preparing for surgeryPreparation Children are advised to be in good general health and well
nourished. Problems of infection and
bone healing increase in situations where the patient doesn’t have adequate
calorie or protein intake. In most healthy young people, this will not be an
issue.Timing As long as the curve is not changing dramatically, surgery
can be postponed indefinitely. If a curve is stable and changing at a very slow
rate, the observation period can be quite long.
In general, surgery to treat a curve that is increased by 10 to 15
degrees is not more complicated or difficult.
However, if a curve increases by 30 to 40 degrees, the magnitude of
difficulty of surgery is greater and safety is less certain.
Costs Most commercial and government-sponsored insurance plans
will cover this procedure. Many children
in the state of Washington
and nationally are covered by Medicaid which will also cover the cost of the
surgery.Surgical team Spinal fusion is a complicated and technically demanding
procedure. This procedure should be performed by a medical team whose members
perform a high volume of these surgeries and at institutions where they are
experienced in spinal cord monitoring and offer good anesthesia support. For younger children undergoing this
procedure, the team should include a pediatric anesthesiologist.
If an anterior spinal fusion is performed, the surgeon
should have experience with chest and abdominal procedures. If thoracoscopic
procedures are to be performed, there should be a team in place that has
received formal training in these techniques and is experienced with
thoracoscopy procedures. Finding an experienced surgeon A good resource for spinal surgeons is the Scoliosis
Research Society (www.srs.org).
This organization includes surgeons who perform high volumes of spine surgery
and are skilled in spinal reconstruction for pediatric spine conditions.
Another source is the Pediatric Orthopaedics Society of
North America web site. The site
includes a listing of skilled orthopaedic surgeons who have experience in
pediatric conditions. Facilities The majority of spinal fusions for childhood scoliosis are
performed in major pediatric children’s hospitals in North
America. Adult facilities may also have expertise provided they
have a pediatric unit and a designated and skilled spine team.Surgery for Idiopathic Scoliosis at the University of Washington If you are interested in making an appointment to discuss this procedure, you can request an appointment using our online referrals website. To request a referral online, please click here. You can also call 206-598-4288 (outside the Seattle area: 800-440-3280) to make an appointment.
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