High pulmonary risk scoliosis surgery: role of noninvasive ventilation and related techniques

There is little awareness among surgeons of the potential for noninvasive mechanical ventilation as an alternative to prolonged endotracheal intubation or tracheostomy for patients with neuromuscular scoliosis and ventilatory failure. These methods have not been reported for the perioperative management of scoliosis correction in patients with an inability to sustain their alveolar ventilation.

Five children with flaccid scoliosis secondary to muscular dystrophy or spinal muscular atrophy who had very high pulmonary risk were preoperatively trained in the use of noninvasive intermittent positive-pressure ventilation (IPPV) and mechanically assisted coughing prior to spinal fusion.

All patients were extubated by the third postoperative day to noninvasive IPPV despite continuous ventilator dependence. No patient developed any postoperative pulmonary complications or required a tracheotomy.

It is critical for the orthopedic surgeon to be aware of these noninvasive options to tracheotomy to decrease the tendency to avoid surgery for these otherwise high-risk surgical patients.