How does scoliosis surgery work?
There are various surgical methods that can be used to treat scoliosis. The common type of surgery is a posterior spinal fusion with instrumentation (artificial implants). This procedure usually involves the orthopedic surgeon making an incision from the back and welding the vertebrae together using bone chips.
These bone chips may be:
- Autografts: removed from elsewhere in the patient’s own body
- Allografts- gotten from donors through a bone bank
The spine may be held by hooks, screws, or other instrumentation. Once the fusion is done, the implants will no longer serve a function but are left in the position to avoid more surgery. Some patients may have to undergo surgical fusion using minimally invasive spine surgery [6].