Are UK GPs reluctant to refer kyphosis sufferers for spinal correction surgery because of the danger of?
It would be a decision made by a consultant not a G.P. as to the recommended treatment. I am not sure that spinal surgery would necessarily help anyway as the curvature is often caused by muscle or bone weakness, so would re-occur. In cases of postural kyphosis in younger patients, correction may often be possible without the additional risk and costs of surgery. In some cases a patient may need to lose weight or show effort in changing their lifestyle to become a more appropriate candidate for such major surgery. Paralysis would be a small concern. There may be risks associated with anaesthesia and infections to consider as well. If the condition is recently diagnosed then the doctor will probably want to see how progressive it is and how it responds to other interventions, before considering surgery.
