Understanding Scoliosis Surgery

What is Scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a condition which causes the spine to curve sideways abnormally. This condition causes the spine to bend at the upper back and shows certain degrees of an inward curvature at the lower back. Scoliosis can be caused by conditions such as muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy. The main cause of scoliosis is still unknown. Scoliosis occurs in the growth spurt just before puberty. Most cases of scoliosis are mild, but some children develop spine deformities that continue to get more severe as they grow. Severe scoliosis can be disabling. An especially severe spinal curve can reduce the amount of space within the chest which makes it difficult for the lungs to function properly. Severe scoliosis can be disabling. An especially severe spinal curve can reduce the amount of space within the chest which makes it difficult for the lungs to function properly. Children with mild scoliosis are monitored closely to see if the curve is getting worse some children are advised to wear braces to stop the curve from worsening while in severe case the child may need surgery to keep scoliosis from worsening and to straighten severe cases of scoliosis. Scoliosis is a disabling disorder which can affect the quality of life.

Signs and symptoms of Scoliosis

• Uneven shoulders.

• One shoulder blade sticks out more than the other

• Uneven waist.

• One hip higher than the other.

• Body tilts to one side.

• One leg may appear shorter than the other.

• In severe cases of scoliosis, the curve gets worse which can rotate or twist.

Causes of Scoliosis

Causes of scoliosis depend on the type of scoliosis. Following are some of the types and causes of Scoliosis

• Neuromuscular scoliosis: - Neuromuscular scoliosis is caused by the abnormality in the muscles or nerves.  This type of Scoliosis is mostly seen in patients who are suffering from spina bifida or cerebral palsy.

• Congenital scoliosis: - Bone abnormality present at the time of birth causes congenital scoliosis.

• Degenerative scoliosis: - Degenerative scoliosis is caused due to an injury or a trauma which results in damaging of the bone order to a previous back surgery as well as osteoporosis.

• Idiopathic scoliosis: - Idiopathic scoliosis is one of the most common type of scoliosis which has no identifiable cause but in this type of scoliosis genetics are suspected to play an important role.

Treatment for Scoliosis

Children with scoliosis who have mild curves probably don’t need treatment whereas children with mild scoliosis may require frequent checkups after  every four to six months to see if there have been changes in the curvature of their spines. There are various things that are to be kept in mind while treating mild, moderate or severe curves scoliosis.

• Sex of the patient.

• The severity of the curve.

• Curve pattern.

• Maturity.

• Location of the curve.

Braces: - Braces are suggested for adolescents who have moderate scoliosis or have a spinal curvature of between 25-40 degrees. Wearing a brace doesn’t cure scoliosis or reverse the curve but it prevents further progression of the curve. The most common type of brace is made of plastic and is contoured to conform to the body. Braces are useful in halting the progression of the curving of the spine and it is useful as a temporary corrective method to treat Scoliosis.

Surgery: - Severe scoliosis typically progresses with time the doctor suggest scoliosis surgery to reduce the severity of the spinal curve and to prevent it from getting worse. The most common type of scoliosis surgery is called spinal fusion. The surgery is performed with the aim to ensure that the curve in the spine does not worsen with time. In this metal-prosthetics are implanted to correct the spinal curvature and hold it in the new position until the bone grafts are fixed adequately. The surgery is usually followed by spinal fusion surgery to weld the affected vertebral together which helps reduce the risk of recurrence in the future.

Scoliosis surgery in India

India is a growing destination for medical tourism. Scoliosis surgery can be very expensive. Undergoing Scoliosis surgery in western countries can be very expensive but this surgery is available in India at quite affordable costs. India has a large number of highly skilled and qualified surgeons and healthcare facilities. These healthcare facilities are equipped with the latest technology and equipment. IndianMedTrip is one of the fastest growing medical tourism company in India. IndianMedTrip has a large network of associated healthcare facility and healthcare professionals. Consultants at IndianMedTrip offers best deals for Scoliosis surgery from the top healthcare facilities in India. Accommodation, visa assistance, logistics, food, pre/ post-operative care, physical therapy and visits to exotic location are all part of the packages provided by IndianMedTrip medical tourism company.

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