My wife has a condition called syringomyelia. Over the years it has gotten worse and now she has scoliosis, too. She’s finally decided to have surgery to fix the problem. Will the scoliosis go away after surgery?

Syringomyelia describes a disorder in which a cyst or tubular cavity forms within the spinal cord. This cyst, called a syrinx, stretches and gets longer over time. Cerebrospinal fluid collects in the syrinx. This condition can destroy the center of the spinal cord.

Since the spinal cord connects the brain to nerves in the arms and legs, this damage can cause pain, weakness, and stiffness in the upper body and even the legs. Weakness of the trunk muscles can result in scoliosis (curvature of the spine).

Surgery may be done to take pressure off the spinal cord. A piece of bone from the back of the cervical spine is removed to enlarge the subarachnoid space. This space is where the cerebrospinal fluid flows.

Studies show that surgically treating the syringomyelia doesn’t change the scoliosis by more than five degrees. The presence of scoliosis is actually a negative predictive factor. Patients with syringomyelia and scoliosis are more likely to have a poor outcome after surgery.

This is true when patients with syringomyelia and scoliosis are compared before and after surgery with patients who have syringomyelia but without scoliosis. But the benefits of the surgery still make it a valuable treatment method even for those with scoliosis.