A member asked:

How come i am having shortness of breath after scoliosis surgery?

10 doctors weighed in across 3 answers

See your Dr: If you recently had surgery i would recommend seeing your surgeon as soon as possible. It is not normal to have shortness of breath after this type of surgery. It could be nothing but I am concerned that it may be that you may have a pulmonary embolism.

Answered 1/15/2017

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Need to be seen : This can be a post operative sign of a lung issue like a pneumonia, a partially collapsed lung or even a blood clot known as a pulmonary embolus. Sometimes if your spine is too staightened from a side view, that can affect lung function as well. You need to get checked inmediately.

Answered 3/31/2021

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Dr. Edward Hellman answered

Specializes in Orthopedic Surgery

Depends: You should probably be checked. There are some types of scoliosis surgery that by their nature can be associated with perioperative shortness of breath, such as when we resect a rib for scoliosis surgery. But there are also life threatening complications that can occur and cause shortness of breath such as a pulmonary embolus or a collapsed lung. Make sure your surgeon is aware. Thank you.

Answered 3/26/2023

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