Will your insurance pay for a thorocoplasty separate from your spinal fusion for scoliosis?

Answer 1

In cases where scoliosis has caused a significant deformity resulting in a rib hump, it is often possible to perform a surgery called a "costoplasty" (also called "thorocoplasty") in order to achieve a more pleasing cosmetic result. This procedure may be performed at any time after a fusion surgery, whether as part of the same operation or several years afterwards. It is usually impossible to completely straighten and untwist a scoliotic spine, and it should be noted that the level of cosmetic success will depend on the extent to which the fused spine still rotates out into the ribcage. A rib hump is evidence that there is still some rotational deformity to the spine. Specific weight training techniques can be used to influence this rotational deformity in the unfused parts of the spine. This leads to a marked decrease in pain and to some improvement in organ function depending on the person's particular case and is to be recommended over any cosmetic surgical procedure. Knowing insurance companies, I doubt they would cover a thorocoplasty as part of a Scoliosis claim, unless you can get your Dr on side and find a medical reason why you would also need this as part of your surgery. Because it is considered to be plastic surgery, you may struggle to get them to pay for it, it is not a very common procedure in the UK, although, there are people requesting it on the NHS.