New option for children born with scoliosis

Instead of years of pain and surgeries, young scoliosis patients literally may be able to straighten out their lives with magnets.

Meet eight-year-old, Kora Olivo. Typical for other eight-year-olds, but she's a miracle to her parents. When she was born, doctors weren't sure Kora would ever leave the hospital.   

Ali Olivo, Kora's mom, explains, "She wasn't quite breathing right and so they took her to the NICU. And that's when they discovered her back the way it was. She has partially formed vertebrae." 

Kora Olivo continues,  "…and missing one part of my lung and i'm missing some of my ribs."

Kora had early onset scoliosis so badly, her orthopedist ordered surgery when she was barely five. 

Ali Olivo adds, "As the curve continued, it would constrict even more of her lung function." 

Dr. Lawrence Rinsky, Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, says, "The standard operation was an operation where you put rods in and then hook them to the spine. Then you would go in every six months, repeat an operation, and lengthen the rods."

Until now, that meant a childhood filled with hospitals and healing from as many as 12 surgeries.  But Kora's fate improved dramatically with a new treatment. 

Dr. Rinsky says, "The newer technology is to put a rod in that just grows with an external magnet. Every two to three months, you can lengthen them." 

And forget about operating rooms. The push of a remote control button lengthens the magnetic rods along her growing spine.  It's over in a few minutes with almost no recovery time.        

Kora Olivo adds, "…and I'm taller and more straight." 

Ali Olivo says, "It really has made it so that she can have such a traditional life." 

As patients continue to grow, the rods will eventually expand as far as possible, requiring them to be replaced. But those operations typically are limited to around three versus 12 or more with the traditional procedure.   


For Video Link : https://www.upmatters.com/news/healthwatch/new-option-for-children-born-with-scoliosis/1445671439

Source : upmatters.com , 14 Sep 2018