Caring for the adult patient undergoing anterior/posterior spinal fusion

Adult patients with severe scoliosis are increasingly undergoing a combined anterior/posterior spinal fusion to correct the spinal deformity. If the scoliosis is thoracolumbar, a retroperitoneal approach and a thoracotomy are required. This combined surgical approach requires increased knowledge and assessment skills of the attending nurse. Included in this article is the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative management of the adult patient undergoing anterior/posterior spinal fusion.