Spine-Straightening Procedure for Scoliosis

Surgeons at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Los Angeles, CA, USA) have announced the successful completion of three operations to permanently correct non-idiopathic progressive scoliosis in a 13-year-old girl from Ecuador. Left untreated, the disorder would have resulted in permanent paralysis and perhaps death, doctors say.

The first two operations were done to loosen the patient's spine from the front and back so it could be straightened. During the first procedure, surgeons used a minimally invasive, endoscopic technique to remove seven spinal discs through tiny endoscopic punch holes in the patient's chest. In the second procedure, called a rib osteotomy, the surgeons fractured her ribs on both sides, then removed joints from the back of her spine.

Following 10 days in traction, spine surgeons using special titanium screws and rods and a bone graft were able to straighten the patient's spine and permanently stop the progression of her disease. The patient now has a balanced spine and does not need to wear a corrective brace. The operations were performed by Robert Pashman, M.D., director of scoliosis and spinal deformity services at Cedars-Sinai Institute for Spinal Disorders.


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