In scoliosis disease, the person’s age and degree of the curvature are leading criteria for surgery

Firstly health, then aesthetics in scoliosis surgery

Scoilosis is known as a serious disease which deforms the symmetry of the body and cause a bad view in the back. Sometimes surgery may be needed for this disease which can also cause serious deformities in appearance. By follow-up of the curvature of the back, it can be seen whether the disease is advancing or not. Assoc. Prof. Bekir Yavuz Uçar, MD of Medipol University Hospital Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology says that curvature of the back needs follow-up. Can every person with scoliosis have surgery?

In scoliosis disease, the person’s age and degree of the curvature are leading criteria for surgery. Assoc Prof. Uçar, MD talks about the surgery of scoliosis disease: “The idea that has been frequently told for years which suggests the necessity of surgery for the curvatures above 40 degrees is not a true approach. In a child below 10 years old who’s got 40 degrees of scoliosis, the curvature has an advancing character. However, in a young person at the age 20 and above with scoliosis, the curvature is not waited to be advancing because growth of bones has been completed. The patient’s age, damage caused by the curvature and over leaning to one side can be listed as factors that affect the decision of surgery. Surgery is performed for the advancing curvatures.

SCREWS DON’T DAMAGE

Moreover, Uçar underlines the fact that the special implant screws don’t cause any damage to the body. “Special screws, which don’t avert the growth, are used in the surgery of the children. In the surgery of elders, there are screws which were made for bone cement and osteolysis (bone loss). The used screws are made of titanium alloy which have no damage profile for humans. Comparing to the steel screws, they leave much less waste in the body.

In the treatment of scoliosis, instead of using corset when the advancing curvatures occurred at young ages, Uçar recommends telescopic system surgery which helps growth and increase in length and doesn’t intercept bone growth. He adds; “Corset application is a treatment which is difficultly accepted and applied. Psychologically, the child is negatively affected by the corset. With telescopic system surgery, increase in length continues and also psychological comfort is observed.

Assoc. Prof. Uçar, MD also talks about the important features of scoliosis surgeries: “We are not aestheticians. These surgeries are not made for avoiding the aesthetic apprehension. We decide surgery keeping in mind the conditions such as deterioration of the patient’s health, compressions onto lungs and heart and decreasing standards of life related to these. Even though the performed surgical method is stabilization surgery with screws, the patients who had the surgery can return their social activities and do sports. Assoc Prof. Uçar, MD also says that the patient’s height will increase when the curvature is fixed in scoliosis surgery. “More the curvature is, more the height increases after the surgery. The patient’s outfits will become short.”