Objective: To study the evolution and ventilatory function measured by spirometry after surgery with the Harrington method for idiopathic thoracic scoliosis.
Patients and methods: A prospective study with evaluation of changes in scoliosis angle following the Cobb method, as well as ventilatory parameters after surgery, measured after a mean time of 19.2 +/- 11.8 (range: 9-60) months post-surgery. Twenty patients were studied, 6 men and 14 women, with no previous respiratory conditions, with ages ranging from 12 and 35 years, and a mean of 16.3 +/- 4.6 years, and all of them with the diagnosis of idiopathic thoracic scoliosis and with pre-surgery angle of 59.9 degrees +/- 13.5 degrees.
Results: No statistically significant changes were observed in any of the ventilatory parameters considering both the absolute value and percentage of the theoretical value, although there was indeed a significant improvement in the scoliosis angle.
Conclusions: In our study no ventilatory function improvement was observed after scoliosis surgery, although we cannot say that the results were the same if the previous thoracic deformity were more remarkable and caused greater changes in ventilatory parameters.