Spinal Deformity Surgery in New York | Han Jo Kim, MD
Spinal deformity — an abnormal curvature or alignment of the spine — can compress nerves, alter posture, limit lung capacity, and rob a person of the ability to stand upright, walk comfortably, or look forward without pain. For patients who have been told “there’s nothing more we can do” or “you’ll have to live with it,” complex spinal deformity surgery often tells a different story.
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 — whose surgical practice focuses on cervical spine surgery and complex adult and pediatric spinal deformity. Patients travel from across NYC, Long Island, and the Tri-state area for his expertise in scoliosis correction, sagittal-plane reconstruction, revision deformity surgery, and the specialized osteotomies these cases require.
Understanding Spinal Deformity
A healthy spine follows three predictable curves when viewed from the side: a gentle forward curve in the neck (cervical lordosis), a backward curve in the mid-back (thoracic kyphosis), and a forward curve in the lower back (lumbar lordosis). From behind, the spine should read as straight. Spinal deformity is any significant departure from those curves — whether from birth, adolescence, aging, injury, or a prior surgery that did not hold.
The impact depends on where the deformity is, how large it is, and whether it is stable or progressing. Small curves may cause nothing more than mild asymmetry. Large or progressive curves can compress the spinal cord and nerves, throw off balance, cause chronic back and leg pain, and — in the most severe cases — compromise breathing or the ability to stand upright and look forward.
Signs To Watch For
- A visible curve in the back, uneven shoulders, or uneven hips
- Progressive forward stoop or difficulty standing upright
- Chronic back pain that worsens with standing or walking
- Leg pain, numbness, or weakness
- Loss of height over months or years
- Difficulty looking forward — a “chin on chest” posture
- Fatigue with walking that improves with sitting or leaning forward
- Clothes fitting differently than they used to
Deformities Dr. Kim Treats
Dr. Kim treats the full range of adult and pediatric spinal deformities, from common curves to the rarest and most complex reconstructions.
- Scoliosis — three-dimensional side-to-side curvature, including adolescent idiopathic, adult idiopathic, degenerative, congenital, and neuromuscular forms
- Kyphosis — abnormal forward rounding of the spine, including Scheuermann’s and post-traumatic kyphosis
- Kyphoscoliosis — combined forward and lateral curvature
- Flatback deformity — loss of normal lumbar lordosis, often after prior fusion, producing forward-leaning posture and difficulty standing upright
- Chin-on-chest deformity — severe cervical kyphosis, often related to ankylosing spondylitis or prior surgery, that prevents looking forward
- Sagittal and coronal imbalance — loss of proper front-to-back or side-to-side alignment of the trunk over the pelvis
- Adult spinal deformity — progressive curves in adults, often degenerative and often painful
- Failed prior spine surgery — patients with persistent symptoms, hardware issues, or pseudarthrosis after a previous operation
- Congenital spinal deformity — deformity present from birth, often requiring pediatric intervention
Non-Surgical Treatment Options
Many curves — particularly smaller, stable curves in patients without significant symptoms — can be monitored with periodic imaging and managed with conservative care. Dr. Kim works closely with pain specialists, physiatrists in physical medicine and rehabilitation, and physical therapists to coordinate non-surgical treatment when it is the right choice.
Non-surgical options may include physical therapy focused on posture and core strengthening, bracing for appropriate pediatric patients, pain management, and image-guided injections. Surgery is reserved for patients whose symptoms persist despite these measures, whose curves are documented to be progressing, or whose deformity is significant enough that non-surgical care cannot address it.
When to Consider Surgery
The decision to proceed with deformity surgery is individual and thoroughly discussed. Common indications include:
- Persistent back or leg pain that has not responded to conservative care
- Progressive curvature documented on serial imaging
- Loss of the ability to stand upright or walk comfortable distances
- Neurological symptoms — numbness, tingling, weakness, or bowel/bladder changes
- Cardiopulmonary compromise from severe deformity
- Failed prior spine surgery with continued or worsening symptoms
- Deformity significant enough that quality of life is substantially impaired
Surgical Procedures Dr. Kim Performs
Deformity surgery is a category, not a single operation. The right procedure depends on the type and severity of the deformity, the flexibility of the curve, the patient’s overall health, and the goals of surgery.
Removal of bone (lamina) or other structures compressing the spinal cord or nerve roots. Often combined with fusion in deformity cases where instability is a concern.
Two or more vertebrae are joined together using bone graft and modern instrumentation (rods, screws, and connectors) to stabilize the corrected position and prevent further curve progression. The fusion becomes solid bone over the following months.
A posterior column osteotomy in which bone is removed from the back of the spine at multiple levels, allowing controlled correction of moderate sagittal deformity. Well-suited for flexible curves.
A three-column osteotomy in which a wedge of bone is removed from a single vertebra, producing approximately 30 degrees of correction at that level. PSO is one of the most powerful tools in adult deformity surgery — used for rigid sagittal imbalance, flatback deformity, and chin-on-chest deformity.
The most powerful correction procedure available in modern spine surgery. An entire vertebral body is removed, and the spine is realigned around a supporting cage. VCR is reserved for the most severe, rigid deformities and requires substantial surgical experience — it is not performed at most centers.
Complex, multi-level cases often involve a combination of decompression, osteotomies, and instrumentation across a long segment of the spine, sometimes staged over more than one operation.
Dr. Kim frequently treats patients who have had prior spine surgery and now face flatback deformity, adjacent-segment problems, pseudarthrosis (a fusion that did not heal), or progressive imbalance. Revision cases are among the most technically demanding in spine surgery.
Recovery
Recovery from deformity surgery is substantial and varies by procedure. A general framework:
- Hospital stay: typically 5 to 7 days, occasionally longer for the most complex cases
- First weeks at home: walking encouraged; lifting, bending, and twisting restricted
- 4 to 6 weeks: progressive return to light daily activity
- 6 to 12 weeks: return to sedentary work
- 3 to 6 months: gradual return to most activities
- 6 to 12 months: continued progression toward full activity
- ~12 months: complete bone healing across the fusion
HSS’s enhanced recovery protocols are designed to control pain, get patients walking sooner, and shorten hospital stays. Dr. Kim and his team coordinate closely with physical therapy throughout the recovery arc.
Testimonials
Frequently Asked Questions
Spinal deformity surgery corrects abnormal alignment of the spine, including scoliosis, kyphosis, flatback deformity, and chin-on-chest deformity. Procedures range from spinal fusion to complex reconstructions using osteotomies — controlled bone cuts that reshape the spine and restore balanced posture.
Age alone rarely disqualifies a patient. Dr. Kim regularly operates on patients in their seventies and eighties when overall health supports it. What matters more than chronological age is cardiovascular health, bone quality, and the patient’s functional goals. A thorough medical evaluation determines candidacy.
Hospital stay is typically 5 to 7 days. Most patients return to light daily activity within 4 to 6 weeks, sedentary work within 6 to 12 weeks, and continue progressing over 6 to 12 months. Complete bone healing across a fusion takes approximately one year.
Yes, many patients gain measurable height after deformity correction. When a collapsed or curved spine is restored to proper alignment, the trunk lengthens accordingly. Dr. Kim’s patients frequently report height gains of one to two inches after adult deformity correction.
A pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) is a three-column osteotomy in which a wedge of bone is removed from a single vertebra, allowing significant correction of sagittal imbalance — typically around 30 degrees at that level. It is one of the most powerful tools in adult spinal deformity surgery and requires substantial surgical experience to perform safely.
Yes. Dr. Kim frequently treats patients who have had prior spine surgery and now face flatback deformity, adjacent-segment problems, pseudarthrosis, or progressive imbalance. Revision deformity surgery is technically demanding and benefits from the multidisciplinary team available at Hospital for Special Surgery.
Why Choose Dr. Kim?
Why patients choose Dr. Kim for spinal deformity surgery
- Hospital for Special Surgery affiliation — the nation’s #1 ranked orthopedic hospital, ranked in 14 adult and pediatric specialties
- Deformity-focused surgical practice — complex spinal deformity is the core of Dr. Kim’s surgical work, not a fraction of a broader practice
- Full range of correction techniques — from standard fusion to Smith-Petersen osteotomies, pedicle subtraction osteotomies, and vertebral column resection for the most severe deformities
- Castle Connolly Top Doctor and New York Magazine recognition among top orthopedic spine surgeons
- HSS Professor and Endowed Chair — actively teaching the next generation of spine surgeons and contributing to the research that shapes deformity care worldwide
- International volunteer experience at FOCOS Hospital in Ghana, treating some of the rarest pediatric and adult deformities in the world
- Adult and pediatric expertise — Dr. Kim treats both populations
- Coordinated multidisciplinary team — orthopedic surgery, neurology, pain management, and physical medicine and rehabilitation under one roof
- Enhanced recovery pathway designed to shorten hospital stays and get patients moving sooner
Schedule Your Consultation
For many patients, spinal deformity is not something they have to live with. With an accurate diagnosis, an experienced surgical team, and a treatment plan tailored to the individual, most deformity patients can stand taller, walk further, and return to the activities they love. Dr. Han Jo Kim and his team offer world-class spinal deformity care across three convenient New York locations.