- [Narrator] Finding out your child
has an issue with their spine can be difficult.
At the Spine Program at Children's Hospital Colorado,
we have some of the leading experts in the country
to diagnose and treat spinal deformities and conditions,
and we are here for you and your family
every step of the way.
Here, we use some of the most advanced techniques
and innovations to treat spinal deformities.
We see more and treat more patients facing spinal problems
than any other hospital in the region.
And higher volumes lead to better outcomes.
(bright music)
- Our spine surgery outcomes at Children's Colorado
are among the best in the nation.
- We treat the full gambit of spine problems in children.
The vast majority of those are spinal deformity challenges.
There's multiple different varieties,
some that come from neuromuscular conditions,
some that are congenital issues,
and some that are what we call idiopathic.
And we take care of those in little babies,
all the way up to young adults.
Not everybody needs surgery.
Some people just need to be observed
and followed throughout their growth.
In the circumstance where we've tried all those
and you need surgery for scoliosis,
we have the best technology,
we have premier outcomes, and an incredible team
to help facilitate the treatment of every child,
and we do it in a team way
that's very family-centric and personalized
for each individual patient.
- Scoliosis is the primary condition
we treat surgically in children,
and so we've developed a lot of expertise
in scoliosis care and have become national
and international leaders in developing newer
and safer techniques for these surgeries.
- Where we take care of, you know,
200 to 300 patients per year surgically,
and another several hundred non-surgically each year.
We've made a big point to make sure
that we look very closely at all of our outcomes,
track our volumes,
research our outcomes, indications, and techniques,
so we know factually
that we have the highest volumes in the region.
Our outcomes are on par or better
than the premier institutions in the United States,
and we continue to get better.
- [Narrator] At Children's Hospital Colorado,
we have a team of physicians, surgeons, nurses,
physical therapists, program coordinators, and more
that are dedicated to treating spinal conditions
and only spinal conditions every day.
This allows us to provide the very best care
for our children and young adults.
- We have a dedicated spine nursing team,
so there's three nurses whose whole focus
is on the spine program,
so they provide the bulk of that support to families
in terms of education, both before and after surgery.
We have advanced practice providers, surgeons,
obviously, that are available to families
if they have questions that they need help with.
And then, you know, the whole gamut,
physical therapists, child life,
our nursing staff on the floor,
all those resources we have to help them get through it.
- One thing that's really unique about our program
is that we focus a lot on the patient experience.
Do they have the education they need to go through surgery?
Do they feel prepared to go home after surgery?
And do they feel like it was
an overall positive experience for them?
- The nurses on the spine floor--
- They're incredible. - Amazing.
They were so incredible.
I mean, we just couldn't say enough wonderful things
about the care we received.
- And they were just very clear every step of the way.
- Spinal surgery has changed and evolved a lot.
One of the things I love about innovation
is it really makes you hone in on what you believe
and what you think and what you need to go research.
We're constantly seeking the best care
for each individual patient
and how we can optimize our care here in Colorado.
- The spine program here,
we attend the latest scientific conferences,
so we're really up to date on what is scientifically valid.
So if we can identify technologies
that are proving to be safer and more effective,
then we can incorporate those into our practice.
The approach here at Children's Colorado
is really to do a personalized surgery for your patient,
not a one-size-fits-all surgery,
because we wanna optimize outcomes
for each individual patient.
- [Narrator] Here, because we know
that our patients are much smaller,
we use the most advanced technology
to treat their small anatomy.
This includes anything from 3D imaging and printing
to custom rods, vertebral body tethering,
to the use of robotics.
These advanced techniques allow us to fix their deformities
and stabilize their spines more precisely,
accurately, and safely.
- The spine program at Children's Colorado
really has access to all of the newest technologies
that have been shown to be safe
and effective for scoliosis care.
And then as we plan the surgery,
there's a variety of ways to do many of these operations.
And so we try to identify which is gonna be the safest
and most efficient way to do that operation
for that specific child.
- We became really interested in robotics and navigation.
To date, there's four centers in the United States
that have robotics for pediatric spinal deformity.
We're one of those four,
and the combination that we're able
to be fortunate to do on this campus
is our research and our clinical activity,
it allows us to come up with ideation,
to innovate new methods of taking care of children
and young adults with spinal problems,
and then bring that from the bench to the bedside
as quickly as possible and as safely as possible.
- We also have the latest care pathways
for post-operative care to reduce pain,
allow for early mobilization,
and return to sports and activities.
- [Narrator] If you choose to have surgery
at Children's Hospital Colorado,
we have a whole team dedicated to making sure
you and your child are set up for success going into surgery
and in the recovery phase afterward.
- So the nurse's role in that is to provide education,
to provide guidance, reassurance,
answer any questions or concerns they have,
and then to make sure
that the hospital stay is smooth for them as well.
That's where the idea for the spine class came from.
The spine class is an educational opportunity
for patients and families.
We encourage parents to attend as well,
but it's really an educational opportunity
for them to feel prepared
coming into the hospital experience.
Everyone's goal is to help the families
get to and through surgery.
We have an awesome team of schedulers
and assistants who help them set up
all of their preoperative appointments.
Our physical therapists are awesome,
so they are really involved in the postoperative care
for each of our spine fusion patients.
They, of course, are experts in the way that we all move,
and so I think it's really important
for our spine patients to get up and moving after surgery,
to have an expert like our physical therapists
seeing them day to day.
- The staff, the people surrounding him in the hospital
were so encouraging, so helpful
in getting him on his feet quick
and encouraging him to get moving.
He just really recognizes each step he takes as a miracle,
as a gift, and being able to do that now
without the scoliosis, it is a true blessing, a gift.
- And it's really fun when they come back, you know,
a year after surgery and talk about all the things
they've done over this last year because, you know,
the last time we've seen 'em
might have been just in the hospital or a few weeks later
and they're just starting to recover.
Seeing their success and ability
to get back to the things they enjoy,
those are the things that keep us working every day.
- I want them to eventually get to a point
where they almost forgot they had surgery.
That's what I want for all of my patients, and each day
and week and month, we're looking for new things
that can help facilitate what we're trying to do
and do it in a better way
that affords kids the opportunity to get back
and get back to doing what they're doing better
and faster with optimal results.
- [Narrator] If your child is facing a spinal diagnosis
or if you would like a second opinion
about your child's spinal diagnosis,
we are here for you and your family.
Our priority is getting you the right diagnosis
and treatment and supporting your child
in getting back to being a kid.
Please contact us to discuss our processes and procedures,
outcomes, research, and innovations
as you determine what is best for your child.