Hybrid surgery helps Sydnee’s scoliosis

Sydnee’s family surrounds her with love and support.

Sydnee Everhart of Lisbon, Ohio loves marching band and archery. But she’s taking it easy this summer while she recovers from surgery to correct scoliosis.

Scoliosis is an abnormal side-to-side cure in the spine. Sydnee’s mom, Jennifer, noticed the S-shaped curve in January 2024. Sydnee got an X-ray the next month, which showed her spine at a 60-degree curve. She presented to Akron Children’s in November 2024, and the curvature had progressed to 70 degrees. “Sydnee went through a big growth spurt during that time,” said Dr. Lorena Floccari, orthopedic surgeon and director of the Akron Children’s Spine Center. “This is the highest risk point for when scoliosis can worsen. Sydnee’s curve was already severe when she first saw me, so surgery was the best treatment option to restore better alignment and improve her long-term spine health.”

Sydnee’s scoliosis has no known cause, but it is considered hereditary because her older brother has a mild case. “Scoliosis is five times more likely to get worse and require surgery in girls than in boys,” Dr. Floccari shared.

Treating Sydnee’s scoliosis

Care options vary, based on a child’s age and the severity of the spinal curve. Sydnee needed surgery, and she was the perfect candidate for a hybrid fusion/tether surgery. “Spinal fusion is the traditional type of surgery for scoliosis, inserting metal rods and screws to fuse the bones in the spine together.,” Dr. Floccari said. “This corrects the spine curvature and keeps it straight while it heals. Fusion works well but limits spine range of motion.”

In vertebral body tethering, surgeons insert a flexible cord called a tether along the curved part of the spine. The tether is attached with screws to the bones on the curved side of the spine. As the child grows, the tension from the tether gently straightens the curve.

Sydnee is active with her Girl Scout troop.

Not all patients are good candidates for this hybrid surgery. “There are strict criteria for tethering based on curve size and the patient’s growth remaining – because tethering relies on the patient’s own growth to maintain scoliosis curve correction over time,” Dr. Floccari said. “Sydnee’s upper curve was too large for a tethering surgery, so I recommended a fusion in this location of her back. Her bottom curve and her phase of growth made her an excellent candidate for a lumbar tether. The lumbar spine – which is the middle to the base of the spine – is where most of the spinal motion occurs. I recommended a hybrid surgery with tethering at the bottom, a newer option that can save spine flexibility.”

A team effort for surgery and recovery

As with any orthopedic surgery, it takes a team effort. “I am really proud of our team approach at Akron Children’s for Sydnee,” Dr. Floccari said. “Dr. Todd Ritzman and I worked together on the surgery, and Dr. Justin Huntington and the general surgery team skillfully performed the exposure for the tethering. We also appreciate the entire spine team’s collaborative efforts, including our Operating Room Charge Nurse Debbie Hawk, spine nurse coordinator Colleen Neal, the anesthesia team, nursing and everyone who helped make Sydnee’s surgery a success.”

Sydnee needs a strong and flexible back for activities including archery.

Sydnee had surgery on April 1, 2025. “That’s an easy day to remember because it’s April Fool’s Day,” Jennifer said. “She walked a little bit the night of her surgery. Her physical therapist helped her walk up and down the hallway, progressing each day. Another test was to walk up and down a flight of stairs to make sure she was strong enough to be discharged. She did that on the third day; she was determined to go home.”

Jennifer helped Sydnee manage postsurgical pain and follow the at-home exercise instructions. “She didn’t do well on the pain medication, so we tried Tylenol and ibuprofen instead,” Jennifer recalled. “Thankfully, Sydnee felt better on those medicines.”

Next steps

Sydnee followed in her brother’s footsteps, playing the bass drum in marching band. As she continues to recover from surgery, the bass drum must sit for a while longer. “The doctors thought the drum would put too much strain on her back,” Jennifer explained. “Sydnee goes back for a follow-up appointment in July, so we’re eager to see what she gets cleared to do.”

Dr. Floccari calls hybrid surgery the “best of both worlds” because Sydnee got the curve corrected while keeping the flexibility in her spine. “I anticipate Sydnee will do excellent in the long term, and no additional spine surgeries should be needed,” she said. “Hopefully, she’ll be able to return to marching band soon – and all the other activities she enjoys by the end of the year.”