Our teenagers usually do quite well after scoliosis surgery, waking up for about an hour and a half in the PACU, or recovery room, then going up to a large private room with a pullout bed for mom or dad.  The adolescents don’t usually need to go to ICU, or intensive care unit, unless they have other health issues like seizures, preop respiratory difficulties or severe developmental problems.  I do surgery on the smaller children (under 80lbs) and children and teens with other medical issues at WakeMed Children’s Hospital, Raleigh, but to the very large majority of our adolescent and adult spinal deformity surgeries at Duke Raleigh Hospital.

Yesterday we shared about Cam, a 17 yo with  thoracic scoliosis with large obvious deformity quite apparent when viewing her back.  She had surgery yesterday morning, which took a little over 3 hours, and then went to PACU where her mom and dad, sister and Grandma got to see her.  Her pain was very well controlled, but she did complain of an itchy nose.  She went up to the orthopedic floor on a Dilaudid PCA along with some other muscle relaxants and anti-nausea meds.  She did have some nausea last night that was not well controlled with the Zofran, so I added some additional anti-nausea medication called Phenargan, and also put her on some Toradol – a non-narcotic anti-inflammatory medication given IV, which decreases need for narcotic.

This morning Cam was doing very well, and after having a little bit of anxiety about getting up, successfully got up with physical therapy 20 hours after surgery and walked all the way up and down the hallway — with a very nice new posture!

Here is text from Cam’s mom this am: 

Hi Dr Hey! It’s Gina. Cam flew up and down hallway twice. Nurses at nursing station all came to desk and  were saying you are amazing Cam! Went up 4 stairs alone and down. Took socks off and put them back on alone. In recliner.:-) the tears ahead of time were out of fear, but she pushed through and rocked it.


Dr. Lloyd Hey — Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
https://www.heyclinic.com