Before the Procedure:

Always tell your doctor or nurse what drugs your child is taking, even drugs, supplements, or herbs you bought without a prescription.

Before the operation:

• Your child will have a complete physical exam by the doctor.
• Your child will learn about the surgery and what to expect.
• Your child will learn how to do special breathing exercises to help the lungs recover after surgery.
• Your child will be taught special ways to do everyday things after surgery to protect the spine. He or she will learn how to move properly, change from one position to another, and sit, stand, and walk. Your child will be told to use a "log-rolling" technique when getting out of bed. This means moving the entire body at once to avoid twisting the spine.
• Your child's doctor or nurse will talk with you about having your child store some of his or her blood about a month before the surgery. This is so that your child's own blood can be used if a transfusion is needed during surgery.

During the 2 weeks before the surgery:

• If your child smokes, he or she needs to stop. People who have spine fusion and keep smoking do not heal as well. Ask the doctor for help.
• Two weeks before surgery, the doctor may ask you to stop giving your child drugs that make it harder for the blood to clot. These include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), and other drugs.
• Ask your child's doctor which drugs you should still give your child on the day of the surgery.
• Always let your doctor know if your child has any cold, flu, fever, herpes breakout, or other illness before the surgery.

On the day of the surgery:

• You will usually be asked not to give your child anything to eat or drink 6 to 12 hours before the procedure.
• Give your child any drugs the doctor told you to give with a small sip of water.

The doctor or nurse will tell you when to arrive at the hospital.

After the Procedure:

Your child will need to stay in the hospital for about 3 to 4 days after surgery. The repaired spine should be kept in its proper position to keep it aligned. If the surgery involved a surgical cut in the chest, your child may have a tube in the chest to drain fluid buildup. This tube is usually removed after 24 to 72 hours.

A catheter (tube) may be placed in the bladder the first few days to help your child urinate.

Your child’s stomach and bowels may not work for a few days after surgery. Your child may need to receive fluids and nutrition through an intravenous (IV) line.

Your child will receive pain medicine in the hospital. At first, pain medicine may be delivered through a special catheter inserted into your child's back. After that, a pump may be used to control how much pain medicine your child gets. Your child may also get shots or take pain pills.

Your child may have a cast or a brace.

Outlook (Prognosis):

Your child' s spine should look much straighter after surgery. But there will still be some curve. It takes at least 3 months for the spinal bones to fuse together well. It will take 1 to 2 years for them to fuse completely.

Fusion stops growth in the spine. This is not usually a concern because most growth occurs in the long bones of the body, such as the leg bones. People who have this surgery will probably gain height from both growth in the legs and from having a straighter spine.