Surgical Treatment for Scoliosis
Baptist Health Paducah: Surgical Treatment for Scoliosis
Scoliosis can be treated through surgery instead of wearing a brace. Learn more about the surgical treatment option for scoliosis.
Surgical Treatment for Scoliosis HealthTalks Transcript
Lee Titsworth, MD, Neurosurgery:
Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature in the spine. Everybody normally has curves in their spine, but they’re usually all viewed from the side. It’s when people develop curves when you’re looking straight on at them that they becomes something we need to treat, either with conservative management bracing or with surgery.
Allison Smith, Fulton, Kentucky:
I was very active as a teen. I was a cheerleader and I noticed pain. I was kind of like, maybe I need to go to the doctor about this, so I did.
Dr. Titsworth:
Allison is a very pleasant young girl who came to me over several months, and we discussed her treatment options. Because she was in her later adolescence, we elected not to do a brace, but to proceed with surgical correction.
The surgery for scoliosis, basically, involves straightening the spine. We make an incision in the back. We will put titanium screws into the bones of the spine. We’ll use those screws to help pull the vertebral bodies back into alignment, then we’ll secure everything by putting in two large titanium rods and then laying down bone to help the spine regrow into a normal position.
Smith:
I have no back pain now. I have soreness, which is usual, but I don’t have anything compared to what I had before. Everything just seems to be so much easier that I didn’t even realize was hard for me before.
