When scoliosis can no longer be corrected by a brace, or if the curve exceeds a certain amount of degrees, surgery must be performed. About two percent of teens with scoliosis will eventually need the surgery. The most frequently performed scoliosis surgery for teenagers is called "posterior spinal instrumentation with fusion." This means that the procedure is done through the patient’s back while they are lying on their stomach. Of course, they will be given anesthesia during the surgery, which can last many hours. The actual operation consists of the placement of hooks, screws, and a metal rod along the spine. Also, the patient will most likely need a bone graft in order for the bone to fuse in the spine. The most common bone graft used today is donor bone from a bone bank, not bone from the patient’s body. This eliminates a second surgical site for the patient allowing for faster recovery.

After the surgery, it is likely that the scoliosis will not progress anymore. In children, scoliosis is about eighty percent correctable. The twenty percent that is left is not something that could cause a problem later in life. I know that twenty percent sounds like a lot, but it practically looks like nothing on the x-ray afterwards. Most likely, the patient will have to stay in the hospital after the surgery for between five and seven days. During this time, they are given plenty of medication to ease the pain. In less than two months, the person will be just about back to their normal routine. It takes about six months for the fusion to become solid and at this time, the person will probably go for a check-up and an x-ray, depending on their doctor. After a year, the person will probably be able to do everything that they could before their surgery, even go on a gigantic loop-de-loop roller coaster. Also around that time, the scar from the incision will be much lighter. I know that a year seems like a long time to wait, especially after all that is happened during that time, but it is definitely worth it.

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