A study published in Spine recently examined the cost and value of spinal deformity surgery.
The researchers scoured the MEDLINE and PubMed databases for articles on patients undergoing treatment for scoliosis — both surgical and non-operative. The researchers identified the SRS-22, Oswestry Disability Index, 12-Item Short From Health Survey and numerical rating scale validated to measure patient quality of life.
The studies showed a trend toward quality of life improvement among adults who underwent surgery for scoliosis. "Adults with painful and disabling scoliosis may benefit from surgical treatment compared with nonsurgical treatment, given the proper indications. Nonsurgical treatment does not seem to be cost-effective and has not shown to have a positive impact on quality of life, although there is a possibility that patients' health may have deteriorated if they did not receive the nonsurgical treatment," the study authors concluded.
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