Pre-operative respiratory assessment for children with spinal deformity

Pre-operative respiratory assessment of children with spinal deformity requires an understanding of the deformity, the proposed surgery and most importantly the children themselves. The assessment and the tailoring of investigations will differ according to the age, developmental level and co-morbidities of the child. This review uses a mixture of evidence and case-based practice in order to set out a suggested framework for pre-operative spinal assessment, and suggested recommendations that may be provided to best support children undergoing surgery for spinal deformity.