Adult Scoliosis and Flatback Correction for Modesto Patients

Fresno is where you would be seen

We have one office, in Fresno. There is no Modesto location. Every consult, the surgery and the follow-up visits all happen in Fresno, about 95 miles from Modesto on Highway 99.

Deformity surgery takes more trips than most spine operations, and a longer stay. Before you commit to that, it helps to know Modesto has spine surgeons and hospitals of its own, and Sacramento is a bit closer to the north. Patients from Stanislaus County who choose us often want a second opinion on a large operation, or a surgeon who can walk them through every step of the plan.

What the surgery does

Adult spinal deformity covers a few problems. The spine may curve to the side (adult scoliosis), lose its normal inward curve in the low back (flatback), bend forward (kyphosis), or have a bone that has slipped forward on the one below it.

Deformity correction surgery frees pinched nerves and brings the spine back into better balance, so you can stand upright with less effort. It usually means a fusion over several levels with screws and rods. Sometimes bone is reshaped to correct the curve. It is a big operation, with a hospital stay and a recovery that takes months.

Many adults with a curve do fine without surgery. Therapy, activity changes and pain care help many people. Surgery is considered when the deformity limits walking, standing or daily life, and other care has not been enough.

What adults in Modesto describe

People tell us they tire quickly when standing, feel pulled forward by the end of the day, or have leg pain that stops them after a short walk. Some worked for years on processing lines or in the fields and now find their posture has changed. Others had a curve as a teenager that has slowly gotten worse, or an earlier fusion that has broken down above or below.

These stories are common, but the decision is not based on the story alone. We look at standing x-rays of the whole spine and measure balance. Leg pain is often from nerve pressure, which our spinal deformity and lumbar stenosis pages explain.

Getting healthy for surgery

Healing after a long fusion depends a lot on your overall health. Bone strength, nutrition, blood sugar, weight and smoking all play a part. Dr. Higginbotham is first author of a national study of how spine surgeons check nutrition, function and bone health before surgery (JAAOS, 2024). Some of this preparation can be done with your own doctor in Modesto, such as a bone density test or diabetes control, before you come to Fresno for surgery.

How navigation fits in

A deformity fusion can involve many screws across several levels, and a curved or rotated spine makes normal landmarks harder to see. That is one place where 3D navigation is often useful. A scan taken in the operating room lets the surgeon track each instrument against your own anatomy. The plan for your spine, including whether navigation or robotic guidance will be used, is something we go over at the planning visit.

A realistic trip plan from Modesto

• First consultBring every spine image you have, including old x-rays and past surgery reports. We may order new standing x-rays.
• Planning visitWe go over the surgical plan, the risks and what recovery looks like, with your family if you want them there.
• PreparationLab work, bone health and medical clearance. Some of it may happen with your Modesto doctors.
• Surgery and hospital stayUsually several days at Fresno Surgical Hospital. Family often books a Fresno hotel instead of driving three hours round trip each day.
• Home and follow-upA long car ride home with a driver, then follow-up visits spread across the first year. Physical therapy may be closer to home.