Dr. Praveen Kadimcherla with Atlantic Spine Center Offers Tips to Approach Recovery in Short- and Longer-term After Spine-straightening Procedure

By the time scoliosis becomes severe enough to require surgery, reducing this potentially dangerous curvature of the spine is certainly the top goal. But patients face a long list of do's and don'ts in the months after surgery that can help smooth their recovery, according to Praveen Kadimcherla, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon at Atlantic Spine Center.

The most common spinal deformity in school-age children, scoliosis affects about 2% to 3% of kids under the age of 16, according to the University of Washington. For some, the condition may begin in childhood and worsen in adulthood, leading to corrective surgery if lungs or other internal organs are squeezed by the curved spine. About 29,000 scoliosis surgeries are performed in the United States every year, mostly on adolescents, according to the Clear Scoliosis Institute.

"Scoliosis surgery isn't done unless someone has a severe curvature of the spine, typically 45 to 50 degrees or more," Dr. Kadimcherla explains. "It's major surgery and not something to be taken lightly. But patients are always glad to hear that they have some control over how well they recover if they follow some guidelines for what to do or not do in the first weeks and months afterward." Read related news here.

Long-term view toward recovery
Scoliosis surgery fuses vertebrae in the spine to both correct the curve and stop it from worsening. The 4- to 8-hour procedure typically involves placing rods, screws, wires or other surgical hardware in the spine to help keep it straight, while also using a bone graft to stimulate bone healing in the fused vertebrae.

Given the procedure's complexity, a several-day hospital stay is usually required, Dr. Kadimcherla notes. During the immediate post-surgical period, heavy painkillers are often needed and a physical therapist works with the patient in the hospital to get them up and moving about adequately before they go home.

"We've moved muscles and re-aligned the skeleton, so naturally patients have quite a recovery process ahead of them," he says. "It's also a process that requires both a short-term and longer-term mindset to realistically approach their everyday activities. They can break down their post-surgery expectations into shorter and longer periods."

Typical timetable of activities
Want some guidance on what to do – and what to avoid doing – after scoliosis surgery? Dr. Kadimcherla offers these tips:

1 week after surgery:

1 month after surgery:

3 to 6 months after surgery:

Dr. Kadimcherla cautions that it may take a full year to heal completely after scoliosis surgery, and contact sports may not be undertaken until that time.

"It takes a solid year for the spine to be completely fused and ready for all activities after this major surgery," he says. "But by sticking to a logical set of do's and don'ts, patients can help ensure they're back to doing all their favorite things as soon as possible." Read news here.

Atlantic Spine Center is a nationally recognized leader for endoscopic spine surgery with several locations in NJ and NYC. http://www.atlanticspinecenter.com, http://www.atlanticspinecenter.nyc More info here.

Praveen Kadimcherla, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon at Atlantic Spine Center.

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