Patient characteristics
During 2018-2019, we assessed 111 patients prior to scoliosis surgery at the PICU clinic . In total, we included 43 patients. A large proportion of the patients referred to the pre-operative PICU clinic (61%) was excluded mainly due to the inability to obtain LFT results due to developmental delay.
Baseline characteristics of patients and intra- and postoperative details are shown in Table 1.
Just over half of the patients suffered from a NMD, 48% of them were diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Eight patients used home mechanical ventilation, all started years before surgery. At baseline sixty percent of patients suffered from moderate to severe restriction of lung function , i.e., VC < 60%. Median standardized VC prior to surgery was 55% (IQR 41-76%). There was no obstructive lung disease with median FEV1/FVC of 91% prior to surgery.
Median Cobbs angle was 63 degrees pre-operatively and 29 degrees after surgery.
In 4 patients severe adverse events occurred that fortunately resolved.