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Scoliosis in Kids, Health Channel

Dr. Georgiy Brosuvanik, Spine Surgeon with Baptist Health South Florida, says not only the kids with scoliosis lead normal lives, a lot of what we know about scoliosis are either urban legends or it is just wrong. “It’s okay to wear backpacks on one side, it’s okay to slouch; these kids can play normal sports, they can have normal pregnancies, they don’t have more back pain, they live normal lives.”

He explains if there is progression in the curvature and it is quick, especially during the time of puberty, then it is reasonable to consider surgery, but he does not think that kids who have 55 degrees or more will universally require an operation.

Transcript

Scoliosis in Kids, Health Channel

What advice would you give to moms out there, hello I’m one, who get very stressed out I mean my children have never been diagnosed but when they do that you know let’s look and see one gets nervous and, and then they get worried when they hear the diagnosis Oh your daughter or son may have scoliosis any advice?.> This is my favorite question because I got a chance to tell moms not to worry ,-oh that’s so nice,- so your kids are gonna be fine, that study that I mentioned earlier has shown that not only the kid scoliosis lead normal lives, a lot of what we know about scoliosis are either urban legends or it’s just wrong, it’s okay to wear backpacks on one side, it’s okay to slouch, these kids can play normal sports, they can have normal pregnancies, they don’t have more back pain, they live normal lives, and in reality if these kids don’t bend over and someone looks kind of over the horizon you can’t even tell, especially if they’re well-balanced you can’t even tell, I’ll be honest with you, I’m a little hesitant to say that kids who have over 55 degrees need surgery, I would watch it and I would make sure that there is no progression I look, if there is progression and it’s quick especially during the time of puberty then it is reasonable to consider surgery but I do not think that kids who have 55 degrees or more will universally require an operation and it’s a big operation, so you’d really have to have a good reason to fix that poor kids back.> Okay so let’s now define what you just said for our viewers out there and for me for that matter the 55-degree, explained that for me what number is then the AHA you better do it. > Sure absolutely so this is a number that is usually found at your pediatricians office from x-rays, what’s done is a horizontal line is drawn above the top of the curve and below the curve, and the angle between those lines is calculated and historically when that reached about 40 degrees kids were put in braces and over 55 kids were offered surgery, now this was the classic approach I disagree with that approach and there’s multiple studies that show that a curve about 55 degrees not universally progress and does not universally need surgery.

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