Quality of life in patients submitted to surgical treatment of idiopathic scoliosis

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate quality of life, using the SF-36, in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) who underwent surgery for deformity correction, comparing the results in the pre-and post-operative period. Methods: We evaluated 29 patients, 24 female, mean age 14.5 years, all patients had measurement of Cobb angle greater than 50°, and responded to the SF-36 questionnaire preoperatively and on average two years after surgery. Results: There was improvement in all eight domains studied by the SF-36 after surgical treatment, with statistically significant improvement of the domains functional capacity physical aspects, pain and general state. Vitality and mental health were those with the lowest percentage of improvement postoperatively. Conclusion: Surgical treatment of deformity in all AIS improved the functional aspects assessed by the SF-36, representing, in practice, better quality of life for these patients.