Here are five points:
1. Orthopedic spine surgeon Tenner Guillaume, MD, uses the Magnetically driven Growing Rods to treat adolescents with severe scoliosis.
2. The MdGR system includes rods, fixation pieces and an external controller.
3. Dr. Guillaume cuts a small incision at the top of the spine and one at the base of the spine, where he places the rods.
4. The rods align with the adolescent’s growth. Dr. Guillaume usually lengthens a patient’s spine one inch per year.
5. In conventional treatment, physicians perform surgeries about every six months to adjust the rods to align with an adolescent’s growth.
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