Scoliosis Surgery: Causes, Symptoms And Cost of Treatment

Scoliosis is a Greek terminology meaning curvature and irregular curvatures of the spine are referred to as Scoliosis. Basically, Scoliosis is the lateral curvature in a usual straight spine mostly occurring during the child's growing period. A side view exhibits convexity in upper back portion and concavity in the lower back though it looks absolutely normal from the front or back view. It can be seen in 3 shapes:

1. Single curve on left / C-shaped Scoliosis
2. Single curve on right Scoliosis
3. Two curves / S-shaped Scoliosis

Causes of Scoliosis

There can be various reasons for Scoliosis, which are broadly categorized into the following.

1. Congenital: Congenital scoliosis is the Scoliosis existing by birth due to embryonic malformation of one or more vertebrae and can occur at any location of the spine. Since it is present by birth, it can be diagnosed early in life.
2. Neuromuscular: Neuromuscular scoliosis is because of any neurological disease like cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy. Neuromuscular scoliosis generally progresses very rapidly and requires surgery.
3. Idiopathic: When the explicit cause of scoliosis is not known, it is described as Idiopathic. It is usually detected during puberty period.

Scoliosis surgery is designed to minimize the patient’s curvature and fuse the spine to prevent further progression of deformity.

What are Signs & Symptoms of Scoliosis?

The following are signs & symptoms of Scoliosis & which should not be ignored.

• Patient’s head may be off center.
• One shoulder or hip may be higher than the other.
• The patient may walk with a rolling gait.
• The opposite sides of the body may not appear symmetric and leveled.
• The patient may experience back pain or tire easily during activities which require excessive trunk movement.

Types of Scoliosis Surgery

The surgery could be done by either Posterior (done through back) or Anterior (through sides) approach. The aim of the Scoliosis treatment in India is twofold.

• Safely straighten the spine
• Balance the torso for long term

These deformities could be corrected and desired results could be achieved by two methods.

1. Spinal Fusion – It is done by fusing the vertebrae along the curve
2. Supporting the Spine – It could be done with screws and rods till the complete fusion takes place until the bone fuses, the spine becomes steady and the curve does not progress further.

Benefits of Scoliosis Surgery in India

Scoliosis treatment surgery in India is a major attraction for medical tourists because of top-notch facilities and low costs of services. The main benefits of Scoliosis treatment in India are as following.

• High-quality health care.
• Qualified, skilled and well-trained spine surgeons.
• Cost effectiveness and clear communication due to no language barrier.

Cost of Scoliosis Surgery in India

Scoliosis Spine Surgery Cost in India highly varies with the type of procedure chosen like posterior or anterior approach, the degree of curve, medical condition, surgeon, facility and the city where you choose to get the surgery done. The scoliosis surgery cost in India approximately starts from USD 8,000 and varies with the above mentioned factors.

Recovery Following Scoliosis Surgery

You may have a lot of pain after surgery which could be controlled with appropriate medications. You need to stay at the hospital for about a week to make sure you are on the right healing path. The surgeon would suggest you to start walking on the third or fourth day after surgery and physical therapy would begin after few days of the surgery. Most patients return to school and work in 4-5 weeks by following surgeon’s guidelines properly. However, full recovery can take upto 6 months. Patients can resume other activities and even sports after an advice from the doctor.