For those persons who already have a significant curve with a significant deformity surgery can reduce the curve and significantly reduce the deformity. Usually surgery is reserved for teen and pre-teens who already have a curve around 40 degrees or more. In our practice we tend to be more aggressive than many in doing surgery around 40 degrees while there are many excellent surgeons who defer to 45 or 50 degrees. In the adult age range the reasons for doing surgery are less well defined but include an increasing discomfort or pain in a curve that appears to have increased. For many women the deformity in the hip line and the increasing discomfort combine to make surgery a reasonable option.
Many persons note the increasing deformity in the chest coupled with an increase in the rib hump.
Surgery however is a big deal and not to be undertaken lightly. We invariably use metal rods or screws to help straighten and hold the spine in the corrected position. There are three major types of curves each with their own method of correction. However, what we do may not be what someone else would do. Surgeons base their procedures on many different factors including their experience with techniques and their outcomes.