Scoliosis in adults, which results in a bent-over posture, is predicted to afflict a growing number of patients as Baby Boomers enter their senior years. Two spinal surgeons at the UCSF Medical Center published their findings in January 2013.
They concluded that having two spinal surgeons in the operating arena proved very beneficial to patients undergoing surgery to correct this back-bending disease.
Dr. Christopher Ames, M.D., and Vedat Deviren, M.D., unveiled their research in the first issue of a new medical journal, Spine Deformity. The findings showed an exciting discovery. Having two attending surgeons in the operating room during spinal surgery to correct scoliosis resulted in an amazing reduction of negative outcomes. One of the most significant findings: Blood loss was cut in half, and that’s very good news for patients and blood banks. “If you had a drug or device that would result in this kind of improvement in treatment, of course you would give those to your patients,” said Ames.
The reason for reduced bleeding arose in part from a one-third reduction in the amount of time a patient spent under the knife. Having two surgeons working together reduced operating time by one-third, which is truly dramatic, says Ames. Yet, the most significant benefit to patients were improved outcomes from the surgery, according to Jason Bardi, a senior public information representative for UCSF.
The procedure involved a pedicle subtraction osteotomy, which is illustrated in this UCSF YouTube video. This particular procedure surgically treats severe spinal deformity.