Recovery from Scoliosis Surgery
Most people stay in the hospital for five to seven days after the
scoliosis surgery. It usually takes three months for everything to fuse, and it will take time for muscle strength to return.
Risks of Scoliosis Surgery
Like any surgery, scoliosis surgery can have complications, which include, but are not limited to:
- Bleeding
- Pain
- Infection
- Implant failure
- Pseuduoarthrosis, or failure of the bones to fuse, resulting in partial loss of correction
- Reaction to anesthesia.
Additional risks of scoliosis surgery, though rare, include:
- Dislodging a hook
- Fracturing a fused vertebra
- Damaging the spinal cord, which could lead to muscle weakness and bowel or bladder problems.
Questions About Scoliosis Surgery
Patients and parents who are thinking about scoliosis surgery may want to ask the following questions:
- What are the benefits of scoliosis surgery?
- What are the risks of scoliosis surgery?
- What techniques will be used for the surgery?
- What devices will be used to keep the spine stable after surgery?
- Where will the incisions be made?
- How straight will the patient's spine be after surgery?
- How long will the hospital stay be?
- How long will it take to recover from scoliosis surgery?
- Is there chronic back pain after scoliosis surgery?
- Will the patient's growth be limited?
- How flexible will the spine remain?
- Can the curve worsen or progress after surgery?
- Will additional scoliosis surgery be likely?
- Will the patient be able to do all the things he or she wants to do following scoliosis surgery?
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