Because this surgery is quite complex, it is only performed by a handful of surgeons with special training. You need to make sure your surgeon is trained to do this type of complex reconstructive work, and second opinions are more often the norm than the exception.
Most scoliosis surgeons agree that children who have very severe curves (50 degrees and higher) will need surgery to lessen the curve and, more importantly, prevent it from progressing. For kyphosis, that number is usually 75 degrees. The operation for scoliosis/kyphosis correction surgery is called a spinal fusion. This is essentially a “welding” process. The idea is to realign the spine and fuse together the curved vertebrae so that they heal into a single solid sheet of bone. With the technology available today, scoliosis surgeons use a combination of screws and rods to significantly improve curve magnitude. This can result in improved cosmetics, less pain, more function, and most importantly cessation of curve progression. Because this surgery is quite complex, it is only performed by a handful of surgeons with special training. You need to make sure your surgeon is trained to do this type of complex reconstructive work, and second opinions are more often the norm than the exception.