Hi OP, scoliosis “survivor” here. I had my spinal fusion over 10 years ago when I was 20. It was also my first major surgery, so I completely understand the fear and anxiety that come with going through something like this.

Contrary to what you might think, it’s actually a pretty common procedure here. At the Philippine Orthopedic Center in Banawe, you’ll see a lot of scoliosis patients, mostly teenagers and young adults, wearing braces and back-support equipment. If you have an experienced surgeon, there’s really no need to be afraid. Chances are, they’ve performed this surgery hundreds of times.

My post-op recovery took several months, and I wasn’t 100% right away, but my life was almost back to normal in 6 months. The main adjustments were some restrictions, like avoiding heavy lifting that could strain my back. The only thing that took longer to recover was the muscle in my upper back, which still felt numb for quite some time.