Management of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: Institutional Experience, Integration into Neurosurgical Practice, and Impact on Resident Training

Abstract

Management of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) in neurosurgery residency training may have a significant impact on resident experience, even though few trainees are likely to pursue careers in the field of AIS. The impact of this exposure on resident knowledge in adult spinal disease management is the subject of our retrospective analysis. An analysis was performed of all adolescent patients undergoing surgical correction of spinal deformity between 2006 and 2016. Patient characteristics, including age at operation, Cobb angles, length of stay, operative time, blood loss, and complications, were collected. Objective benchmarks were created for resident education in the management of AIS. A survey was sent to the last 7 years of graduates to assess the impact of exposure to AIS during neurosurgery training on their current practice. Nine male and 37 female patients ages 11 to 22 years were identified. Neurosurgical residents assisted in all procedures without fellows or surgical assistants. Average operative time was 336 minutes (range, 215-575 minutes), and blood loss per procedure was 603 mL (range, 200-4000 mL). The average Cobb angle correction was 72.2% (range, 35.3%-90.9%). Zero of the past 7 graduates currently treat AIS surgically. All 7 graduates agreed that exposure to AIS during residency enhanced their knowledge of adult spinal disease management. Treatment of AIS by surgeons with specialized training can be effective and safe. Resident exposure to these patients enhances their understanding of spinal biomechanics and deformity correction, which is applicable to treating AIS and adult spinal deformity.