Thoracoscopic anterior spinal procedures in children

Abstract

Major spinal deformities in children are one of the most difficult and challenging problems faced by the pediatric orthopedic surgeon. Since the early 1980s a combined anterior and posterior approach, performed in concert with a pediatric surgeon, for correction of these severe defects has become the procedure of choice (Burrington et al. 1963; Dwyer and Schafer 1974). However this procedure which requires a large posterolateral thoracotomy incision and in some cases a thoracolumbar incision, followed by an extensive posterior incision can be associated with significant morbidity and pain. Advances in video-assisted thoracic surgery since the 1990s has now allowed the anterior portion of these procedures to be performed thoracoscopically in an attempt to decrease the overall morbidity and recovery period. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2008.