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Welcome to irishhealth.com (23 May, 2013) Quickfind

Scoliosis surgery - still deformed?

I am 28 years of age. I have scoliosis and had surgery for it when I was twelve. Two years after the surgery I had the rod removed because I was experiencing pain. However I still have what I consider a hump on my right side and I would like to have surgery again to correct my condition and get rid of the hump. Is this possible?

I think you should explore this matter further with an orthopaedic specialist because my knowledge of this topic is limited. My understanding of the treatment objectives in scoliosis is that the surgeon tries to halt the progression of the curvature in the spine through the use of Harrison rods, which you had inserted when you were twelve years old. These metal rods are left in place in order to physically restrict further rotation of the spine. It is almost like a metal girder that retains the proper alignment of the individual bones in the spine. The Harrison rods are usually left in place for several years but sometimes they have to be removed because of ongoing pain. Having halted the progression of the curve over several years the affected spinal vertebrae are then fused. Essentially the surgeon is attempting to halt the progression of the deformity until such time as the skeleton stops growing. Since you are now 28 years of age your skeleton has stopped growing. I don’t know if surgical correction is feasible at your age but based on my limited understanding of the objectives of treatment I suspect that surgical treatment may not be an option for you. However don’t take my word for it. Discuss this matter with your GP and arrange to discuss the matter with an expert on scoliosis.

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