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The answers to these questions are based on the most common patient scenarios
and are not necessarily true in all cases.
1. Will I be able to have a normal pregnancy in the future?
Yes. Your surgery will not have any effect on your ability to conceive, have
a normal delivery or epidural anesthesia. You may or may not need a "C" section,
but this is independent of your scoliosis surgery. When you do become pregnant,
ask your surgeon to give you one of your x-rays so the anesthesiologist is aware
of your anatomy for epidural placement.
2. What are the rods made of?
Rods are made of stainless steel or titanium. These are inert metals and not
rejected by the body. Rarely, a patient may have metal allergies manifested
by a reaction to costume jewelry. Patients sensitive to jewelry are usually
sent to a dermatologist for testing so the appropriate metal is used in the
surgery.
3. Do the rods stay in my back for the rest of my life?
In the majority of patients, the rods stay implanted for life. In about 2%
of patients the rods are removed. The most common reason for rod removal is
discomfort arising from rods irritating overlying muscles. Once the fusion is
solid, correction of the curvature usually holds despite rod removal. However,
in some children, and more commonly in adults, bending of the fusion mass can
occur. For this reason, it is preferable to leave the implants in place.
4. Will I be able to have an MRI?
Yes. There is no reason why you cannot have an MRI. It is true the rods will
interfere with the image on the MRI to some extent, but new techniques allow
for visualization of the spine particularly adjacent to the instrumentation.
5. Will my flexibility remain after surgery?
One of the goals of surgery is to minimize the number of levels of the spine
that are fused and to avoid fusing into the lower lumbar spine. This way, motion
is preserved. The majority of patients are not significantly affected by the
rods. When fusion is carried down to the lower lumbar spine (L4, L5) or sacrum,
some decrease in flexibility occurs. Remember … most flexion (forward bending)
occurs at the hips which are not affected by scoliosis surgery.
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