Comparison of Complications and Surgical Outcomes of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Between Junior Attending Surgeons and Senior Attending Surgeons

BACKGROUND: To our knowledge, few studies have compared complications and surgical outcomes of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) between junior attending surgeons and senior attending surgeons. - OBJECTIVES: To compare surgical strategies, complications, and outcomes of posterior corrective surgery for AIS between junior attending surgeons and senior attending surgeons. METHODS: According to experience level of operation surgeons, the patients were assigned to 2 groups. Group A was the "junior surgeon" group. Group B was the "senior surgeon" group. The following parameters were compared between the 2 groups: age, sex, diagnosis, hospital of record, surgeon experience level, type of instrumentation, type of screws, estimated blood loss, duration of surgery, length of fusion, correction techniques, main curve correction, and thoracic kyphosis correction. RESULTS: A total of 132 patients with AIS were included in group A, whereas 207 were in group B. The translational technique was used more often in group A (P < 0.05). whereas the derotation technique was used more often in group B (P < 0.05). Senior surgeons used more monoaxial screws than junior surgeons (P < 0.05). The junior group had significantly greater estimated blood loss than the senior group (P < 0.05). The senior group had significant better correction rates of severe main curve (>70 degrees) and thoracic kyphosis than the junior group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Senior attending surgeons out-performed junior surgeons in blood loss control, thoracic kyphosis correction, and correction of severe curves.