I just wanted to post the link to a relatively new FB group that focuses solely on fusionless surgery (primarily vertebral body tethering, also called VBT). The link can be found below as well as in my signature; and the FB Group is called "Scoliosis Tethering (VBT) Support".
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ScoliosisTethering/
For those interested, you can find things like a power point presentation on VBT, a list of surgeons around the country performing the procedures, as well as a large group of parents with personal experience (i.e., their children either already had VBT or are scheduled for it) who are willing to share their experiences, offer questions and lend their support.
While nothing regarding scoliosis is 100% guaranteed, tethering - which has been around approx. 8 years - has, up to this point, allowed many patients to avoid fusion and has brought impressive correction in curves as large as the 50's and 60's (and even a few in the 70's). Many of the early adolescent patients have now reached skeletal maturity. In fact, as I mentioned in another post, there are three surgeons we are aware of around the country who will consider VBT for skeletally mature patients (provided the patient meet certain criteria - i.e., flexibility, etc.); and there has been one VBT performed on a 50 year old woman! The parameters for VBT are expanding every day. In fact, more and more of those in the field believe that VBT will replace fusion for a larger number of patients in the future.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ScoliosisTethering/
For those interested, you can find things like a power point presentation on VBT, a list of surgeons around the country performing the procedures, as well as a large group of parents with personal experience (i.e., their children either already had VBT or are scheduled for it) who are willing to share their experiences, offer questions and lend their support.
While nothing regarding scoliosis is 100% guaranteed, tethering - which has been around approx. 8 years - has, up to this point, allowed many patients to avoid fusion and has brought impressive correction in curves as large as the 50's and 60's (and even a few in the 70's). Many of the early adolescent patients have now reached skeletal maturity. In fact, as I mentioned in another post, there are three surgeons we are aware of around the country who will consider VBT for skeletally mature patients (provided the patient meet certain criteria - i.e., flexibility, etc.); and there has been one VBT performed on a 50 year old woman! The parameters for VBT are expanding every day. In fact, more and more of those in the field believe that VBT will replace fusion for a larger number of patients in the future.
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