Specialists perform 347 pediatric scoliosis surgeries in the last four years

La Altagracia.– In the last four years, a total of 347 pediatric patients have undergone surgery for scoliosis in the country by the Spine Center team, led by Dr. Carlos Rodríguez Estévez, president of the Dominican Society of Spine Surgery (SDCC).

The data was released by the specialist during his participation as a speaker at the V International Course of the Ibero-Latin American Society of Spine (SILACO), held within the framework of the 10th SDCC Congress.

Rodríguez Estévez specified that the intervened group was made up of children and adolescents aged between 6 and 13 years old.

Clinical distribution of cases

During his presentation, the surgeon explained that juvenile and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis was the most frequent pathology, representing 75% of surgical interventions.

He indicated that this deformity, the cause of which is unknown, usually manifests during stages of accelerated growth.

The specialist pointed out that congenital scoliosis accounted for 12% of the cases, due to anomalies in the formation of the vertebrae before birth, while neuromuscular scoliosis represented 13% of the procedures, as it is associated with diseases of the nervous or muscular system, such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophies.

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Regarding the sex of the patients, the behavior of the pathology maintained the trend observed internationally: 80% of the cases corresponded to girls and 20% to boys.

Early detection, key to quality of life

Pediatric scoliosis causes a lateral and rotational deviation of the spine. If not treated in a timely manner, it can progress severely, alter posture, cause chronic pain, and compromise cardiorespiratory function and mobility.

“Timely diagnosis and management by a specialized surgical team make the difference in the prognosis. Correcting the deformity in time halts complications and gives the patient back the opportunity for optimal physical development,” pointed out Rodríguez Estévez.

The specialist urged parents and pediatricians to conduct periodic physical evaluations during children’s growth stages to detect any asymmetry in the back or shoulders early on.