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Scoliosis is the term used to describe the lateral deformity of the spinal column. It can present itself as early as infancy due to a congenital defect and later in the juvenile, adolescent, and adult years as an idiopathic (unknown) condition. In rare cases, scoliosis is the result of a neuromuscular disorder, like cerebral palsy, or a degenerative condition such as osteoporosis. Patients with severe curvatures often experience a number of debilitating conditions that impede their ability to carry out everyday tasks. When severe scoliosis spinal and back pain negatively impact overall quality of life, spinal surgery and spinal fusion may be the best course of action when considering available scoliosis treatments.
Dr. Blecher and the University Spine Associates practice specialize in the treatment of adolescents and adults with scoliosis of the spine requiring either minimally invasive spine or open back surgery. Through careful patient evaluation and the deployment of custom-tailored treatment plans, University Spine Associates—the scoliosis specialists—help sufferers of spinal deformities find relief from debilitating symptoms.
The Goals of Adolescent vs. Adult Scoliosis Treatment & Surgery
Spinal fusion back surgery and minimally invasive spine surgery is generally reserved for severe structural scoliosis deformities with a cob measurement exceeding 50 degrees. As reconstruction surgery for scoliosis often is multilevel, it is an extensive procedure with a challenging recovery period. As such, University Spine Associates carefully evaluates the condition of the patient to determine if surgery is indeed the best course of action.
In adolescent patients, the goal of scoliosis surgery is not to alleviate severe scoliosis back pain, but rather to prevent it as certain curvatures, depending upon their location and severity, hold a high risk of progression. Spinal fusion techniques are used to stabilize the spine and correct alignment to prevent deformity progression. Patients with adult scoliosis, in many cases, have already undergone curvature progression and as a result, may suffer from debilitating complications and severe spinal pain. In instances of degenerative and neuromuscular adult scoliosis, the risk of further deformity may be high requiring surgical action. Consequently, treatment of spine deformity in adults aims to restore a patient’s quality of life by alleviating painful conditions by correcting the scoliosis curvature of the spine.
Many adults who suffer from scoliosis in their adulthood have had previous scoliosis surgery earlier in their lifetime. A significant number of patients who had previous surgery may develop certain conditions that cause significant disability. Breakdown of the spine below the previous scoliosis fusion is a relatively common problem that can cause stenosis, spondylolisthesis and commonly a flatback condition. Revision surgery for adults who had previous scoliosis surgery is often complex and requires at times radical correction of alignment to enable patients to stand upright. Dr. Blecher utilizes surgical techniques such as spinal osteotomies to correct adult scoliosis deformities. These surgical procedures are challenging and complex but often make a dramatic improvement in patient's ability to stand upright and decrease spinal pain.
Scoliosis surgical procedures at University Spine Associates
offers the following spine surgery and back surgery options for the treatment of adolescent and adult scoliosis. These procedures may be done in a minimally invasive or open approach, depending on the specific problem. Click on the links below to learn more about these and other procedures:
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