HJBR Sep/Oct 2022

52 SEP / OCT 2022 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE CHILDREN’S HEALTH treatment. If left untreated, scoliosis can cause problems with heart and lung func- tion. Healthcare providers, and even some school programs, routinely look for signs of scoliosis in children. ABOUT TREATMENT AND THE SURGICAL TEAM Treatment for scoliosis depends on the child’s symptoms, age, general health, and how severe the condition is. The goal of treatment is to stop the curve from getting worse and prevent deformity. Depending on how bad the scoliosis is, the child may need a brace or surgery. The surgical team will include highly COLUMN CHILDREN’S HEALTH Scoliosis Surgery: Team-Based Personal Care FOR PARENTS and caregivers of chil- dren with scoliosis, selecting and getting to know their child’s surgical care team is an important first step to making sure the child and his or her family are well pre- pared for treatment. Scoliosis is the most common spinal deformity in school-age children, with approximately three million new cases di- agnosed in the U.S. each year. Scoliosis is a deformity of the backbone that presents when the spine has a side-to-side curve in either an S or C shape. The child may look like they are leaning to one side, and scoliosis can cause a variety of symptoms. Finding scoliosis early is important for SURGERY FOR ANYONE CAN BE STRESSFUL, BUT SURGERY ON A CHILD, ESPECIALLY SPINE SURGERY, CAN BE AN EVEN MORE STRESSFUL EXPERIENCE.