Scoliosis can be completely corrected with surgery.

There is a chance of this, but it is not likely. The goal of the surgery is to straighten the spine cosmetically and keep it from getting worse. You will probably be left with a curve of about ten to fifteen degrees after the surgery, but try not to worry about it. Four out of people with scoliosis have a curve of less than twenty degrees; it is just when the curve progresses past twenty that treatment is required.

The metal rods in my back will set off alarms in the airport.

Because the rods are made of titanium and surrounded by bone, they most likely will not set off alarms. Just to be on the safe side, you might want to carry a card that says that you have metal rods in your back.

I will never be able to play sports again after I have the surgery.

This is definitely not true. You might need to wait a year after having the surgery to practice or participate in games, but it will not be forever.

The pain after the surgery will be unbearable.

You will be given strong medication in the hospital through an IV to help the pain. The doctors will probably ask you how much it hurts on a scale of one to ten (one being the lowest, ten being the highest) and give you a certain amount of medication based on that number. If you are anything like I was, you could end up going home after five days in the hospital only taking Tylenol for the pain. See, that’s not that bad, is it?

I will need to use a wheelchair after the surgery.

Unless you already were using a wheelchair, you probably will not need one after the surgery. In most cases, the doctor will have you get up and walk down the hall the day after the surgery. Every day afterwards, you will walk more and more.

I will not be able to have children because of the metal rods.

This is not true and most likely, there will be no problems with anything involving pregnancy, although in some instances you may need to have a C-section.

I will become paralyzed after having the surgery.

This is very unlikely. In fact, the risk of a neurological problem in AIS patients is less than one percent.

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