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Dr. Jeffrey Wang
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VIDEO: Dr. Wang - Scoliosis, How Is It Treated?

Dr. Wang shares the available treatments for scoliosis.

Dr. Wang:
Well, the treatment of scoliosis depends on the patient’s age. Again, we typically diagnose it in children and obviously we want children to grow as tall as possible. And so we use things like bracing and really, bracing and just trying to maintain the flexibility of the spine to try and maintain the spinal alignment until the patient grows to a certain extent.

Unfortunately, if the curvature progresses significantly, they may have to have surgery. Once you do a surgery, it fuses the spine; the spine cannot grow anymore, and that’s why you want to let the child grow as much as possible before you do the surgery.

About Dr. Wang, M.D.:
Dr. Jeffrey Wang, M.D., is the Chief of Spine Surgery and Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Neurology at the UCLA School of Medicine. He specializes in all spine disorders in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar area. His research interests include gene therapy for the treatment of spinal disorders, minimally invasive surgery for spinal disorders, bone growth biological proteins, and biomedical engineering of non-invasive spine surgery using high intensity focused ultrasonic waves.

Visit Dr. Wang at UCLA School of Medicine

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