Recovering from Scoliosis Surgery

While there are different variations of scoliosis surgery depending upon the type and severity of the curve, many surgical patients at the Baylor Scoliosis Center experience a similar flow to the recovery process. After surgery, patients are routinely admitted to the Intensive Care Unit where they have focused nursing care.

The day after surgery, some patients may be able to sit in a chair and walk one or two steps. By the third day, patients can stand and walk and by the fourth day will often be walking the halls.

After discharge, which is routinely on the fifth day, patients begin the rehabilitation process. Patients from out of town are transferred to a rehabilitation hospital to spend another week regaining the ability to perform normal activities of daily living.

After surgery, some patients will need to wear a light thermo-plastic brace for about three months. Patients do not have to sleep or bathe in the brace. With this type of serious spinal surgery, there are milestones of improvement. The week in the hospital before discharge, many patients see improvement. The next milestone is when a patient can walk on their own, is eating regular food and putting on and taking off their brace.

Discharge from rehabilitation, usually two to two and a half weeks after surgery, is another great milestone. The ability to drive often comes as soon as a month and other milestones are individual such as when a patient needs less pain medication or feels ready to go back to work possibly five weeks after surgery in at least a light duty capacity. Most patients feel they have regained control of their lives after about three months. To monitor the longer-term gains, patients are monitored for years, being reviewed at six-month and yearly intervals.