Spinal brace (orthosis) after thoracoplasty surgery

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Some scoliosis patients will have surgery called thoracoplasty. Learn about the san-splint spinal orthosis, the post-operative spinal brace that patients wear after thoracoplasty.

Key points

Although it is very rare, occasionally after certain types of surgery, your child may need to wear a san-splint spinal orthosis to help them heal safely.
A certified orthotist will measure your child’s body to make the brace.
Your child will need to wear the spinal brace for two to four months after the surgery.

Introduction

What is a spinal brace?

A spinal brace is a medical device that is designed to support or correct the alignment of your child’s spine.

Some scoliosis patients will have spinal surgery called thoracoplasty. After surgery, some surgeons will prescribe a spinal brace to help support your child’s spine and ribs as they are healing. The pressure of this spinal brace will also provide some pain relief. This type of spinal brace is called a san-splint spinal orthosis.

About the treatment

What a san-splint spinal orthosis looks like

The san-splint spinal orthosis is made of plastic with a cotton corset. It is the most commonly prescribed post-operative spinal brace.

Your child will need to wear their post-operative spinal brace for about two to four months after the surgery to help reshape their ribs.

Treatment

What happens at the first visit?

About five days after your child’s surgery, they will be seen by a certified orthotist to have the spinal brace made. Your child will be given a long cotton body stockinette to wear during the procedure. Several measurements will be taken of their body and they will be asked to lie on a casting bed on their stomach. A warm piece of plastic will be draped on their back. The plastic cools and hardens in about five minutes. A cotton corset is then attached to the plastic and the spinal brace is ready for the final fitting.

The entire process takes about three hours.

At the end of the appointment, your child will start wearing the brace, slowly building up their wear time over the course of a week until they are wearing the brace 20 to 22 hours per day.

Follow-up care

What happens at the follow-up appointments?

Your child will be seen by their orthotist within two weeks of discharge from the hospital. It is common for your child to have a lot of swelling in their abdomen (belly) in the first few weeks after surgery. Once the swelling goes down, their spinal brace may need to be re-molded to their body to fit properly. All future appointments with the orthotist will be on the same day after the appointment with your child’s orthopaedic doctor.

At SickKids

Cost of a post-operative spinal brace

In Ontario, OHIP does not cover any of the costs of the post-operative spinal brace; however, many extended health insurance plans cover all or a portion of the costs depending on your coverage. Ask your child’s orthotist for an insurance letter to submit to your insurance company for coverage. If you need help paying for your child’s brace, visit our reception desk for a list of charitable organizations that may assist you.

A minimum of 50% of the payment for this device is expected at the time of the molding. The remaining 50% of the cost is expected when your child receives the brace. You will need to submit the insurance claim for your child’s brace to your insurance company.

Please visit or contact The Children's Orthotics Clinic for further information on pricing.

Last updated: August 9th 2021