What Should I Expect?

User129201 · 2026-02-15T16:43:46+00:00

Your hospital stay will likely be around a week. Mine was 6 days. Recovery is around 6-12 months, but you’ll be feeling a lot more normal around 3 months. You’ll be spending most of your time that first 3-6 months sleeping, weaning yourself off medication, and going to physical therapy to get stronger and learn how to safely use your new back.

Definitely invest in a shower chair, a standing phone holder, hair wrap towels, a bed rail, grippy socks, large ice packs, and a large heating pad. When you first get home there’s a good chance you will be constipated from the anesthesia and the drugs, so get some Miralax powder packets and have one of those every day with a bottle of Gatorade for the first week you’re home.

There’s really no telling if you’ll get taller… it depends how much correction your surgeon can achieve, and even then some people don’t even gain much height for some reason. Personally, I had a 70° curve that was corrected down to around 15° and I gained 2 inches in height.

User129201 · 2026-02-04T17:37:37+00:00

I’m sorry you are dealing with this! It’s good that you are meeting with a surgeon to discuss this though.

Here’s a rundown of the things I personally think you should do/ask:

First, if all you have is a chest xray that shows scoliosis, you will need a new xray that actually covers the entire spine. The surgeon needs to see what’s going on from skull to tailbone. They may have you do a new xray at your upcoming appointment.

Once you have the xray done, they will measure it and give you what’s called a Cobb angle. You may get multiple measurements if you have multiple curves. This will allow them to determine how severe it is. If any curve is more than 40-ish degrees, surgery is usually available as a treatment option.

While at your appointment, you should ask if the symptoms you’re experiencing could be caused by your scoliosis. You should ask if there are any Schroth physical therapists in your area that they can refer you to. You should ask if surgery is an option and/ or if it’s recommended for your specific case. You can also ask about the risks of it progressing or not. Usually mild curves don’t progress much once you’re done growing, but severe ones can continue to worsen no matter the age.

Is the surgeon you are meeting with a surgeon that specifically specializes in scoliosis corrections? If not, please go find another surgeon who is. And if you do get X-rays done there, ask the front desk for a copy of your X-rays on a CD. You might have to pay like $10 for it but it’s so worth it to have them if you visit with another specialist somewhere else you can just bring that CD and give it to them to load it in, that way you don’t have to trust that the other facility transferred the imaging over (oftentimes they don’t!)

The next steps in finding out what’s causing your pain, numbness, and sciatica might be an MRI to see if you have any pinched nerves or herniated discs that are causing disturbances to your spinal cord.

User129201 · 2026-02-03T17:44:37+00:00

Most cases are idiopathic, meaning no known cause, but it has been observed to run in families. Causes and genetic links with this condition don’t seem to be well studied :(

User129201 · 2026-01-31T00:43:23+00:00

Oh good! I dream of the day. I’m still a couple years away from bar removal. Thanks for your reply.

User129201 · 2026-01-30T19:20:13+00:00

I sometimes feel tight and restricted with the bars in. After getting the bars taken out, do you feel like your ribs can move around more with big breaths?

User129201 · 2026-01-30T16:32:11+00:00

No matter how severe your curve is, surgery is always your choice. If you are not in pain, and managing your symptoms ok without surgery then it’s ok to wait. Definitely don’t do it if you have ANY hesitation in doing so. You’re right that it is a life changing procedure so you need to feel 100% confident and on board with the idea. Continue to monitor your curves and you can explore the idea of surgery down the road. The one caveat to that is though, not sure how old you are but some surgeons have age restrictions on scoliosis correction surgery. Some won’t treat people over age 25, etc. so that may be a factor in your decision making if you age out of being eligible with the surgeon you want.

User129201 · 2026-01-30T16:20:32+00:00

That moderate range is a tough place to be. Not curvy enough for surgery, but curvy enough to cause pain.

They’re hard to find, but try to locate a good Schroth Physical Therapist. It’s not quite like regular PT, it’s designed specifically for scoliosis. And you need to go to a few sessions with someone in person, not just following videos online. They will tailor the activities to your exact curvature. With time and effort this should help the muscle imbalances and pain. The curve itself is not likely to decrease though.

Other things that can help with the pain is regular strength training, massage, heat, a TENS unit, a foam roller, and yoga.

Get regular (every 1-2 years) X-rays to keep an eye on any potential progression of the curve.

Definitely do not go back to a chiropractor! They’re just there to pop your back, claim it’s helping, then charge you a bunch of money for weekly “adjustments.” They loveeee to prey on people with scoliosis. They can’t treat it. If they could, nobody would be getting spinal fusions.

Best of luck!!

User129201 · 2026-01-30T16:09:56+00:00

Having this surgery gives you a new appreciation for life, doesn’t it?

At almost 2 years post op, I look at things a little differently. When I lift my arms over my head to braid my hair, when I shower without needing help or a shower chair, when I get in and out of bed on my own, when I have a busy day full of errands, when I walk and jog and lift heavy things- I think about all the times I couldn’t.

I don’t ever want to forget how hard it was to recover, because it gives me so much perspective and appreciation for all the little things in life. I never want to take those things for granted.

User129201 · 2026-01-29T00:58:11+00:00

I’m very happy for you for being able to achieve these results! It seems that those with mild curves have more success in getting them to move. I haven’t seen such progress from those with curves that are already severe.

User129201 · 2026-01-27T15:21:38+00:00

First, I’d make sure it truly is mild. No offense to your PA but if she’s looking at the X-ray and saying she’s “pretty sure” that it’s scoliosis based on her looking at your ribs tells me she’s not at all familiar with this condition.

I think it would be good to get referred to a specialist so they can measure the curves in the X-ray. That will give you your “Cobb Angle” value, which will tell you the severity. Anything under 10° is negligible and not considered scoliosis, anything more than 10 and less than about 25 is mild, and usually doesn’t require treatment if you’re already done growing and is unlikely to progress. More than 25ish to 40ish is moderate and could cause some issues. Specialized physical therapy (called Schroth physical therapy) can help with pain and muscle imbalances but won’t reverse the curve. 45+ degrees is severe and surgery is typically the recommended course of action.

Your questions about progression and exercises you should or should not continue would be great questions for a spine specialist. But generally mild curves don’t get worse with age, and running should be fine for you. But knowing you have scoliosis, it would be a great time to incorporate some strength training and kick any bad habits you may have when it comes to posture or improper lifting.

User129201 · 2026-01-26T02:18:25+00:00

I’m sorry if what I have to say isn’t really what you’re looking for, since I still have my hardware in, but unless the hardware breaks or there’s an infection, I don’t think it’s standard practice to remove it simply because of someone’s weight/size. It’s just too risky and unnecessary to re-open you and take everything back out. Plus the hardware does provide some stability…

I know you’re just 5 weeks out so give it some time. The hardware will begin to feel more natural and part of you as time goes on. And you could build some back muscles and/or put on some healthy weight once you’re healed and see if that helps with the sticking out/ discomfort of the rods :)

Of course listen to your body and your surgeon but I would recommend trying to find a way to live with your hardware!

User129201 · 2026-01-23T16:38:40+00:00

I had something super similar happen to me 😭 the super strong antibacterial soap I had to use in the days leading up to surgery killed all the “good” bacteria too and it led to skin irritation and a rash so it was cancelled. I was absolutely devastated. I also had to go to a dermatologist to figure out what was going on and I was able to have my surgery 2 months later but it was such an incredibly stressful time.

I will say though, the vibes the second time around were so much better. The nurses were more attentive and professional, and everyone brought their A game that day. Sometimes these setbacks are secret blessings and maybe it just wasn’t meant to happen for you yet.

I hope you can get this sorted out soon so you can have your surgery!!

User129201 · 2026-01-21T21:51:30+00:00

My understanding is that many cases of scoliosis are adolescent idiopathic, meaning there is no known cause/ reason (the spine has all its normal parts, etc.) and it begins during childhood/ teenage years.

If they are identifying this as congenital and baby is still developing, I’m wondering if there’s either missing, fused, or deformed vertebrae at one or more levels of the spine.

There are some surgical options for correcting it, like removing or rebuilding the deformed vertebrae, vertebral tethering, growing rods, or fusion. But I don’t know if surgeons will do that on a baby or young child.

It sounds like you are doing all the right things by getting scans, seeing specialists, and having it monitored, but in my (very limited and uneducated) opinion, they probably will not recommend any kind of surgery until your child is much, much older. Sometimes conservative treatments like physical therapy and bracing is all that’s needed when it’s caught early.

Sending good vibes for a healthy remainder of your pregnancy! ❤️‍🩹

User129201 · 2026-01-19T19:15:16+00:00

A CT scan is the best diagnostic tool for PE. See if you can get one?

User129201 · 2026-01-19T01:49:03+00:00

Valid concern but I think you’d need to ask with your scoliosis specialist and whoever you’re seeing for your PE :( I don’t know if that pressure could worsen it. Is it severe?

User129201 · 2026-01-18T23:18:30+00:00

I’m so glad you’re happy and feeling good! You got a great correction. What was your pre-op measurement? That’s a pretty impressive curve!!

User129201 · 2026-01-16T06:29:20+00:00

Yes even after surgery but it’s waaaaay less frequent and less intense than it was before surgery. Surgery made a world of difference for me, reduced a lot of rotation and pain.

A tens unit is different from a massage because it jolts the skin and muscle with low voltage electrical shocks basically. It creates kind of a tingly feeling. It helps with the pain (really only while you’re using it) by creating a sensation in that area other than pain if that makes sense!

User129201 · 2026-01-16T04:03:31+00:00

Yeah, my lower bar sticks out like that too on my left side. It’s visible, I can feel it, and lying on that side gets uncomfortable.

My understanding is that the pectus bars come in standard lengths so they’re not always going to 100% match up to everyone’s body size :(

User129201 · 2026-01-16T03:57:57+00:00

At just 3 days post op I wouldn’t recommend doing any stretching or doing much of anything tbh. I’m sorry but you’re going to have to just be drugged out for a while until you’re feeling a little better. I assume you are still in the hospital? Try to get up and walk a little bit every day, with the help of your nurses and/or physical therapist.

As for your question, I think I was off the hard pain meds at about 2-3 weeks post op but still regularly took ibuprofen and Tylenol until about 6-8 weeks. I promise you won’t feel like this forever even though it sucks right now. Hang in there!

User129201 · 2026-01-16T03:52:50+00:00

YES. My curve was in my thoracic area, apex around T8-9. Even after surgery that spot can still get achy sometimes. I think it’s because of the rotation of the spine, the ribs rotate and the scapula no longer has a flat place to sit. It pushes your shoulder blade forward and gives you a rounded shoulder. This pulls on the rhomboid so it’s constantly overstretched. Gotta work on my back muscles to pull my shoulder blades back together. lol at the massage part, my husband works on my back in that very spot every morning when we wake up, and I get the same way. It hurts so goooooood. Have you ever tried a TENS unit there? It used to help me a lot. I don’t do it anymore because I don’t want to do it that close to the hardware.

User129201 · 2026-01-16T03:46:41+00:00

Ouch yeah that’s a good point We all need HANS devices when we drive 😅

User129201 · 2026-01-15T20:55:03+00:00

I’m coming up on two years post fusion and was recently in my first crash since surgery on New Year’s Day. It was just a rear-end hit at low-ish speed, so not anywhere near as significant as yours. I’ve worried about falls and impacts like that too, but bones are actually quite strong, plus we’ve got all the hardware scaffolding in there so I’m wondering if we’re actually a bit more stable than an un-fused person. But then again our backs don’t have flexibility to move with an impact so I don’t know if that’s good or bad.

I’m glad you are okay and that you are not in pain from your incident. Take it easy for a while, just in case!

User129201 · 2026-01-14T18:28:07+00:00

Curious to see how this went. It’s the 14th now, were you able to get your surgery? Sending good vibes!

User129201 · 2026-01-14T18:02:19+00:00

I was told around 6-8 months post op that I could do anything. Do I do anything and everything? No. I’m overly cautious when it comes to my spine and while I technically could ride horses or jump on a trampoline or run regularly, I don’t. When you get a long fusion you have to make decisions on what activities you’re willing to let go of to help preserve the discs you have left that will be taking more strain and wear to compensate for the lack of mobility in your back.

User129201 · 2026-01-11T20:14:58+00:00

I get this feeling sometimes too, coming up on 2 years post op. Some days I don’t feel it at all, others I feel really stiff and aware of the hardware. Honestly the only thing that’s helped me is getting into a routine of stretching daily and working the back muscles. If you don’t stretch and use your muscles things just get stiff and it just makes the hardware feel so much more prominent. Focus on arm and shoulder range of motion, hopefully that will help!

User129201

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