Is the cure of scoliosis surgery worse than the condition itself?
It is not my intention to condemn the efforts of sincere and caring medical professionals who have spent their lives to helping individuals with idiopatic scoliosis. However, I like to add to the current list of scoliosis treatment options and empower these individuals to make their own decision regarding their own scoliosis spine, and their own life.
Scoliosis surgery has been a part of the scoliosis treatment landscape since 1865 (yep, the same year the civil war ended) and while the techniques and surgical hardward have vastly improved, the general conclusion of this research suggests that a new paradigm is desperately needed as there are many short and long term consquences to the highly invasive procedure.
Scoliosis surgery is Generally recommended of curvatures 40-50 degrees and larger. This number is rather arbitary and will vary greating from surgeon to surgeon.
Those patients for whom fail scoliosis brace treatment, they are often told scoliosis surgery is their only option. While the idea of having a metal rod fused to their spine that will impair their daily activities and in many cases leads to chronic pain may not appeal to most scoliosis patients, they often feel as though they have no other choice. In addition many are told the scoliosis surgery will reduce the rib hump and improve the cosmetic appearance of the condition. Unfortunately, current research has consistently shown that scoliosis surgery does little to address the rotation of the scolisis spine (and hence the rib hump) and will actually cause the rib hump to increase in time. (Chen 2002, Goldberg 2003, Hill 2002, Pratt 2001, Weatherly 1980, Wood 1991, Wood 1997).
Scoliosis surgery is highly invasive and carries with it a risk of death. Although death rates of less than 1% are reported, no one completely eliminate this possibility. There is also significant risk of injury to the nerves, resulting in the loss of movement to the arms & legs. This has become a greater concern in recent years, as surgeons strive for greater corrections in their patients, and place more stress upon the nerves running through the spinal column.
Surgical Hardware failure is virtually 100% over the course of a scoliosis patient's lifetime. It may occur immediately after the scoliosis surgery or several years later, but one or more components of the hardware placed inside the body is highly likely to fail or break. The author of one study stated, "One would expect that if the patient lives long enough, rod breakage will be a virtual certainty". Another study found that out of 74 patients who underwent the scoliosis surgery, failed fusion occurred in 27% of patients within a few years after the procedure.
Scoliosis of spine is an neurological condition primarily affecting the spine, which involves much more than merely a sideways curve. Yet the "success" of scoliosis surgery is measured only by how much it can reduce the Cobb angle (lateral deviation) through the application of artificial correction, and a scoliosis surgery treated spine is every bit as abnormal and dysfunctional as an untreated scoliosis spine.
“Scoliosis Surgery… is a major undertaking with significant risks, and rather than reinstituting normality, replaces one abnormality (a flexible, curved spine) with another (a rigid, straighter spine).” Goldberg, 2001.
Risks and complications of scoliosis surgery.
One study (Scoliosis. 2009 May 7;4:11.) found that 68% of patients experienced minor or major severe complications, including two deaths (out of 50 patients):
“Hemo/pneumothorax, pleural effusion, pulmonary edema requiring ICU care, complete spinal cord injury, deep wound infection and death were major complications; while pneumonia, mild pleural effusion, UTI, vomiting, gastritis, tingling sensation or radiating pain in lower limb, superficial infection and wound dehiscence were minor complications.”
Surgical complications in neuromuscular scoliosis operated with posterior- only approach using pedicle screw fixation."
Scoliosis surgery has been a part of the scoliosis treatment landscape since 1865 (yep, the same year the civil war ended) and while the techniques and surgical hardward have vastly improved, the general conclusion of this research suggests that a new paradigm is desperately needed as there are many short and long term consquences to the highly invasive procedure.
Scoliosis surgery is Generally recommended of curvatures 40-50 degrees and larger. This number is rather arbitary and will vary greating from surgeon to surgeon.
Those patients for whom fail scoliosis brace treatment, they are often told scoliosis surgery is their only option. While the idea of having a metal rod fused to their spine that will impair their daily activities and in many cases leads to chronic pain may not appeal to most scoliosis patients, they often feel as though they have no other choice. In addition many are told the scoliosis surgery will reduce the rib hump and improve the cosmetic appearance of the condition. Unfortunately, current research has consistently shown that scoliosis surgery does little to address the rotation of the scolisis spine (and hence the rib hump) and will actually cause the rib hump to increase in time. (Chen 2002, Goldberg 2003, Hill 2002, Pratt 2001, Weatherly 1980, Wood 1991, Wood 1997).
Scoliosis surgery is highly invasive and carries with it a risk of death. Although death rates of less than 1% are reported, no one completely eliminate this possibility. There is also significant risk of injury to the nerves, resulting in the loss of movement to the arms & legs. This has become a greater concern in recent years, as surgeons strive for greater corrections in their patients, and place more stress upon the nerves running through the spinal column.
Surgical Hardware failure is virtually 100% over the course of a scoliosis patient's lifetime. It may occur immediately after the scoliosis surgery or several years later, but one or more components of the hardware placed inside the body is highly likely to fail or break. The author of one study stated, "One would expect that if the patient lives long enough, rod breakage will be a virtual certainty". Another study found that out of 74 patients who underwent the scoliosis surgery, failed fusion occurred in 27% of patients within a few years after the procedure.
Scoliosis of spine is an neurological condition primarily affecting the spine, which involves much more than merely a sideways curve. Yet the "success" of scoliosis surgery is measured only by how much it can reduce the Cobb angle (lateral deviation) through the application of artificial correction, and a scoliosis surgery treated spine is every bit as abnormal and dysfunctional as an untreated scoliosis spine.
“Scoliosis Surgery… is a major undertaking with significant risks, and rather than reinstituting normality, replaces one abnormality (a flexible, curved spine) with another (a rigid, straighter spine).” Goldberg, 2001.
Risks and complications of scoliosis surgery.
One study (Scoliosis. 2009 May 7;4:11.) found that 68% of patients experienced minor or major severe complications, including two deaths (out of 50 patients):
“Hemo/pneumothorax, pleural effusion, pulmonary edema requiring ICU care, complete spinal cord injury, deep wound infection and death were major complications; while pneumonia, mild pleural effusion, UTI, vomiting, gastritis, tingling sensation or radiating pain in lower limb, superficial infection and wound dehiscence were minor complications.”
Surgical complications in neuromuscular scoliosis operated with posterior- only approach using pedicle screw fixation."
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