As is often experienced, many of the parents are told by orthopedic surgeons of future heart and lung complications from severe scoliosis. I have a patient who is 84 yoa with a 68 degree thoracic curve and relatively more functional than others of her own age.

(I'm knew to your work and this may be a redundant question.) What's the life expectancy after surgical correction of scoliosis?

I personally (17yrs) have not seen anyone 20 or 30 years after a scoliosis surgery.

Thanks.

 

 

An article published in the journal Scoliosis entitled, "Rate of complications in scoliosis surgery - a systematic review of the Pub Med literature" in 2008 examines the published research on this procedure, and comes up with some startling findings.

"The life expectancy of patients with a complex neuromuscular condition was significantly reduced by spinal surgery. Another study involving adults with a less than 60% vital capacity measure, 20% had died within 1 year post surgery. In a survey further highlighting these complications, 21% were contributed to be secondary to spinal fusion surgery."



The conclusion of the authors was: "Scoliosis surgery has a varying but high rate of complications. A medical indication for scoliosis surgery cannot be established in view of the lack of evidence found within this review."

(Weiss & Goodall, Rate of complications in scoliosis surgery - a systematic review of the Pub Med literature, Scoliosis 2008;3:9)