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How Dr. Bridwell Treats AIS
AIS Thoracic Curve
Posterior Spinal Fusion with Instrumentation: Dr. Bridwell will perform the surgery from the back of the spine; that’s called a posterior approach. He will correct the curve. To help the spine heal in this new position, Dr. Bridwell will use appropriate spinal implants (rods, screws, etc.) to correct the spinal deformity and immobilize the spinal segments as they fuse and heal. Dr. Bridwell uses local bone graft and biologic proteins to enhance the fusion and make it much more likely that the spine will fuse correctly.
Please note: Dr. Bridwell does not take bone graft from the iliac crest of the hip; many other spine surgeons use iliac bone graft, which lengthens recovery time and increases the patient’s pain. Instead, Dr. Bridwell uses local bone graft from the spine. He also has a track record of using safe and effective biologic proteins, another advanced technique that improves the fusion success rate and avoids pain for the patient.
Number of Fused Vertebrae: For an AIS Thoracic Curve, Dr. Bridwell tries to fuse the least number of vertebrae possible. That helps the patient maintain as much motion in the spine as possible. Before deciding how many vertebrae to fuse, Dr. Bridwell thoroughly studies the x-rays and clinical exams, reviewing them multiple times as he formulates the surgical plan. He’s very committed to formulating the least invasive and least risky procedure for each patient, so patients can trust that his recommendation is the best surgical plan for them.
AIS Double Major Curves
Posterior Spinal Fusion with Instrumentation: Dr. Bridwell will perform the surgery from the back of the spine; that’s called a posterior approach. He will correct the curve. To help the spine heal in this new position, Dr. Bridwell will use appropriate spinal implants (rods, screws, etc.) to correct the spinal deformity and immobilize the spinal segments as they fuse and heal. Dr. Bridwell uses local bone graft and biologic proteins to enhance the fusion and make it much more likely that the spine will fuse correctly.
Number of Fused Vertebrae: For an AIS Double Major Curve, Dr. Bridwell tries to fuse the least number of vertebrae possible. That helps the patient maintain as much motion in the spine as possible. Before deciding how many vertebrae to fuse, Dr. Bridwell thoroughly studies the x-rays and clinical exams, reviewing them multiple times as he formulates the surgical plan. He is very committed to formulating the least invasive and least risky procedure for each patient, so patients can trust that his recommendation is the best surgical plan for them.
AIS Thoracolumbar/Lumbar Curve
Anterior Spinal Fusion with Instrumentation: Dr. Bridwell will perform the surgery from the front of the spine; that’s called an anterior approach. He finds it best to use an anterior approach with thoracolumbar/lumbar curves because it allows for more correction of these types of curves. It also allows him to fuse fewer segments of the spine, meaning that the patient won’t lose as much flexibility because of the fusion.
Dr. Bridwell will correct the curve. To help the spine heal in this new position, Dr. Bridwell will use appropriate spinal implants (rods, screws, etc.) to correct the spinal deformity and immobilize the spinal segments as they fuse and heal. Dr. Bridwell uses local bone graft and biologic proteins to enhance the fusion and make it much more likely that the spine will fuse correctly. In the case of an anterior approach, Dr. Bridwell will use bone graft taken from the patient’s ribs.
