What it is
Reconstruction addresses the harder problems of spine surgery: scoliosis and deformity, spines that have lost their balance (looking or leaning forward or to the side), and revision of prior surgery that hasn't achieved its goal. These operations restore alignment and stability across multiple levels — and demand exactly the kind of fellowship-level training and planning Dr. Pompliano's practice is built on. His fellowship at the San Diego Spine Foundation included advanced training in minimally invasive surgery and complex spinal deformities, and his published research includes work on segmental alignment and compensation after lumbar reconstruction.
When it's recommended
- Adult scoliosis or kyphosis with pain, imbalance, or progression
- Failed prior spine surgery — persistent pain, pseudarthrosis (a fusion that didn't heal), adjacent-level breakdown, or hardware problems
- Multi-level degenerative disease with deformity
As with every procedure in this practice, surgery is offered only after conservative options have been genuinely explored — or when the diagnosis clearly calls for it.
How it's performed
Every reconstruction begins with detailed alignment analysis and a surgical plan matched to your anatomy and goals. Techniques may combine posterior instrumentation, interbody support (TLIF, ALIF, XLIF), osteotomies where correction requires them, and navigation or robotic guidance for precision. Staged (multi-day) plans are used when they make the operation safer.
Recovery & return to activity
- Hospital stays are longer than for smaller procedures — typically several days
- Walking begins early, with therapy support
- Recovery is measured in months, with steady, planned progression
- The trade is real but so is the payoff: durable correction aimed at lasting function
Recovery details vary by patient and by the specifics of each operation — your individual plan, restrictions, and milestones are set with you before surgery and refined at follow-up.
Related: Scoliosis & Deformity · Second Opinions · All Procedures
Already been told you need this procedure? A second opinion is always welcome.