Adult and Pediatric Scoliosis Care from Han Jo Kim, MD — Orthopedic Spine Surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery
Scoliosis is one of the most common spinal conditions in adolescents and a growing source of pain and disability in adults. Most mild curves never require surgery — but when bracing isn’t enough, or when an adult curve begins to compromise balance, posture, or daily function, the right surgical team makes a significant difference in long-term outcomes.
Han Jo Kim, MD is a fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) — the #1 ranked orthopedic hospital in the United States — who specializes in scoliosis and complex spinal deformity surgery. He treats both adult and pediatric scoliosis patients across NYC, Long Island, and Southampton, with a treatment plan tailored to each curve, each patient, and each stage of life.
Book a Consultation | Call 212-774-2837
HSS – The Pavilion
541 East 71st Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10021
Tel: +212.774.2837
Fax: 646.797.8428
HSS Long Island – The Omni
333 Earle Ovington Blvd, Suite 106
Uniondale, NY 11553
Tel: +212.774.2837
What Is Scoliosis?
Scoliosis is a three-dimensional spinal deformity. It is most easily recognized as a sideways curve — the spine forms a “C” or “S” shape when viewed from behind — but the condition also typically involves rotation of the vertebrae, which is why scoliosis can subtly change the appearance of the shoulders, ribs, and waist long before the curve itself is obvious.
Scoliosis affects roughly 3% of adolescents. Most cases are mild and require only monitoring, but moderate-to-severe curves can progress with growth, alter trunk balance, and in advanced cases compromise breathing.
Common Signs of Scoliosis
- Uneven shoulders or one shoulder blade more prominent than the other
- An uneven waistline
- One hip higher than the other
- A visible curve in the back or a “rib hump” when bending forward
- Tilting of the body to one side
- In adults: progressive back pain, leg pain, loss of height, or trouble standing upright
Early curves are often subtle, which is why routine screening — and a specialist evaluation when something looks off — matters.
Types of Scoliosis
Not all scoliosis is the same, and the type informs both the prognosis and the treatment.
- Idiopathic scoliosis. The most common form, accounting for roughly 80% of cases. The cause is not known but is influenced by genetics. Most often identified during the adolescent growth spurt.
- Congenital scoliosis. Present from birth, caused by vertebrae that didn’t form normally during fetal development.
- Neuromuscular scoliosis. Develops as a secondary effect of conditions such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injury.
- Degenerative (adult) scoliosis. Develops after spinal maturity as facet joints, discs, and ligaments deteriorate. The most common form in adults.
- Adult idiopathic scoliosis. A curve that began in childhood and persists or progresses into adulthood.
Pediatric Scoliosis
Most pediatric scoliosis is idiopathic and identified during routine screening between ages 10 and 15. The risk for curve progression is highest during growth, which is why early specialist evaluation matters even when the curve looks small.
Treatment depends on three factors: the size of the curve (measured by the Cobb angle), the child’s remaining growth, and the rate of progression. The options include:
- Observation for smaller curves, with periodic imaging to track progression
- Bracing for moderate curves in a still-growing child, designed to prevent further progression
- Surgery for larger or rapidly progressing curves, or curves that are not responding to bracing
Bracing does not correct an existing curve; it slows or prevents progression while the spine is still growing. For mature curves above approximately 45 to 50 degrees, surgery is typically the recommended path.
Adult Scoliosis
Adult scoliosis is increasingly common as the population ages. Many adult curves are degenerative, developing later in life as the spine wears. Others are residual curves from adolescence that have progressed over decades.
Many adults with scoliosis never need surgery. When evaluation does point toward surgical intervention, it’s usually for one or more of the following:
- Persistent back or leg pain that hasn’t responded to conservative care
- Numbness, tingling, or weakness in the legs
- Loss of height or progressive forward stoop
- Uneven hip or pelvic alignment that affects walking
- Trouble standing upright or maintaining balance
- A curve that is documented to be progressing
For adults, the goal is rarely cosmetic. The goal is to relieve pain, restore alignment, and protect function.
Goals of Scoliosis Surgery
When surgery is the right answer, it is designed to accomplish three things:
- Stop the curve’s progression. This is the most important long-term goal.
- Reduce the curve. Modern correction techniques typically achieve a 50% to 70% reduction in the Cobb angle, with the exact target depending on flexibility and curve location.
- Restore trunk balance. A balanced spine — one where the head sits centered over the pelvis — protects function and reduces pain over decades.
Cosmetic appearance improves as a consequence of these goals, but the structural objectives drive every surgical decision.
Surgical Procedures Dr. Kim Performs
Dr. Kim performs the full range of modern scoliosis procedures:
- Spinal fusion. Two or more vertebrae are joined together to stop motion at the curved segment and hold the corrected position. Modern instrumentation allows for excellent correction with shorter fusions than were possible in past decades.
- Spinal tethering (vertebral body tethering, or VBT). A fusion-less option for selected growing patients. Screws are placed along the convex side of the curve and connected with a flexible cord, which gradually corrects the curve as the spine grows.
- Growing rod placement. For young children with significant curves who still have substantial growth remaining. Rods are anchored to the spine and periodically lengthened as the child grows.
- Spinal osteotomies. For rigid or severe curves where releases or controlled bone cuts are needed to achieve correction.
- Revision surgery. For patients with continued symptoms, hardware issues, or progression after a previous scoliosis operation.
Which procedure is right depends on the patient’s age, the size and flexibility of the curve, the spine’s overall balance, and the patient’s goals.
Recovery After Scoliosis Surgery
Recovery varies with the patient and the procedure, but a general timeline looks like this:
- Hospital stay: typically 3 to 5 days for a posterior fusion
- First few weeks at home: walking and light activity encouraged; lifting and bending restricted
- 6 to 12 weeks: gradual return to school or sedentary work
- 3 to 6 months: progressive return to most activities
- 12 months: full bone healing across the fusion
HSS’s enhanced recovery protocols are designed to minimize pain, reduce hospital length of stay, and get patients moving sooner. Dr. Kim and his team coordinate closely with physical therapy throughout recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the curve. Small curves in skeletally mature patients often remain stable. Larger curves (above approximately 40 to 50 degrees) tend to progress slowly over decades. Degenerative curves in adults can also progress as the spine continues to wear. Periodic monitoring is the best way to know.
No. The majority of pediatric scoliosis curves are mild and managed with observation or bracing. Surgery is recommended for a specific subset of patients — usually larger curves that are progressing despite bracing, or curves above roughly 45 to 50 degrees at skeletal maturity.
Exercise cannot correct a structural curve, but scoliosis-specific physical therapy programs (such as Schroth or SEAS) can improve posture, strength, and trunk control. For specific exercise programs, work with a physical therapist trained in scoliosis-specific methods — generic exercises that help one curve pattern can worsen another.
For most patients, it involves instrumentation (rods and screws) and fusion of the curved segment, with correction of the curve as the hardware is placed. The fusion eventually becomes a single solid segment of bone, locking in the correction.
Most patients return to school or sedentary work within 6 to 12 weeks, with progressive return to most activities by 3 to 6 months. High-impact sports are typically reintroduced gradually over the first year.
Why Patients Choose Dr. Kim for Scoliosis Surgery
- Hospital for Special Surgery affiliation — the nation’s #1 ranked orthopedic hospital, ranked in 14 adult and pediatric specialties
- Castle Connolly Top Doctor and New York Magazine recognition among top orthopedic spine surgeons
- HSS Professor and Endowed Chair and former Director of the HSS Spine Fellowship — actively teaching the next generation of spine surgeons
- Hundreds of complex spinal deformity cases performed, including extensive volunteer work at FOCOS Hospital in Ghana treating some of the rarest pediatric and adult deformities in the world
- Adult and pediatric expertise — many scoliosis programs treat one or the other; Dr. Kim treats both
- Coordinated multidisciplinary team — orthopedic surgery, neurology, pain management, and physical medicine and rehabilitation under one roof
- Enhanced recovery pathway designed to get patients moving sooner and home faster
Schedule Your Consultation
Scoliosis doesn’t define what’s possible. With the right diagnosis, an experienced surgical team, and a treatment plan built around the patient, most scoliosis patients — adult and pediatric — return to full, active lives. Dr. Han Jo Kim and his team offer world-class scoliosis care across three convenient New York locations.