When does scoliosis require surgery

  Scoliosis is a common spinal deformity during adolescent development. According to statistics, the annual incidence of scoliosis is more than 1 million, and 300,000 require surgery, mostly among adolescents aged 12-14 years old, and there is a trend toward younger age development.  Missing the best surgical treatment period, and then surgery, will not achieve the best treatment results. Untreated or delayed treatment of scoliosis in younger children will eventually lead to possible limitations in cardiopulmonary development and even death.  How can scoliosis be detected as early as possible?  It is still mainly through visual observation to see if the bilateral shoulders, low back, and pelvis are symmetrical, and if there is asymmetry, or if one side is bulging, it is abnormal. X-rays are the most basic method of diagnosis, and are generally used to determine scoliosis by taking a full frontal and lateral image of the spine. If further angles are needed to confirm the diagnosis, traction images, oblique images, tomography images, etc. are also needed.  If a baby has scoliosis, it is usually quite obvious, and parents can easily detect it by paying attention. We would like to remind all parents, especially for young children, to pay attention to the need for timely and early treatment if asymmetry is found during bathing, or if there is a scoliosis condition. Early treatment has much better surgical results.  Since scoliosis patients are mainly adolescents aged 12-14, and these adolescents are often undergoing intense study, choosing when to have treatment becomes the biggest headache for parents. On the one hand, they don’t want to delay their child’s schooling, and on the other hand, they can’t postpone surgery for too long. The best time for scoliosis treatment is usually between the ages of 10-20.  Generally speaking the best age for scoliosis surgery is 10-20 years old. Exceptions to this are special cases.  First, if the patient has congenital scoliosis and the scoliosis is due to a congenital cause such as hemivertebrae or poorly segmented vertebrae, surgery should be performed as soon as possible. At this point, although the curvature may not be too severe, because this deformity usually develops relatively quickly, failure to operate in a timely manner may also delay the surgery and lead to unsatisfactory correction in the future.  Second, if the patient is a girl, it is best to undergo surgery after the first menstrual period. This is because after a girl’s menstruation, she enters the peak of growth and development, when the curvature will have a more rapid development. Surgery at this time will prevent the curvature from increasing and losing the best time for surgery. The brace needs to be worn strictly until the onset of menstruation, and the surgery should be performed as soon as possible once menstruation has occurred.  Third, if the patient is younger than 10 years old, but the curvature is already greater than 40 degrees and has progressed further while wearing a brace, surgery should also be performed as soon as possible to avoid losing the best time for surgery if the curvature worsens after the age of 10.  It is important to note that surgical correction of scoliosis is not 100%. The usual correction rate is about 50-80%. This is because the residual curvature after correction is different for a 100 degree curvature and a 60 degree curvature. Therefore one should take advantage of the timing to obtain the desired correction.