Category: Uncategorized

Perioperative Orthopedic Quality & Safety Newsletter

Posted on July 18, 2023

Dr. Michael G. Vitale, Vice-Chair, Strategy & Quality, Columbia Orthopedics Quality Team, is pleased to share this quarterly newsletter with you. Happy Summer from the Columbia Orthopedics team! We are excited to continue sharing our perioperative quality updates and reading list for this quarter. Since our last issue, we have welcomed two Quality & Performance Improvement (QPI) fellows, Erin Butrico (2021-2022) and Chinenye E. Ezeh (current: 2022-2023), and a new fellow (Melanie Brown, 2023-2024) who will join the team in July of this year. Read More

Greta’s Heroic Journey Video

Posted on July 17, 2023

“Greta is a straight-A student, plays piano, and loves to dance, but she was born with a condition that caused her spine to curve and stopped her lungs from functioning. Our Och Spine Team and NewYork-Presbyterian performed a series of major surgeries to correct her severe scoliosis. Most recently, we performed a spinal fusion to straighten the curve in her spine, which allows her to live a fuller life.” —Dr. Michael Vitale Read More

Dr. Vitale Speaks at Curvy Girls Scoliosis International Convention

Dr. Michael Vitale was happy to attend and speak at the Curvy Girls Scoliosis International Convention, June, 2023. Curvy Girls from all over the world came together for a weekend of empowerment, learning, and community building. Read More

Curvy Girls Announces New Book—Features Chapter by Dr. Vitale

Posted on June 20, 2023

June 19, 2023, Dr. Vitale and his team were excited to attend the Curvy Girls biennial conference in Long Island. At the conference, Curvy Girls celebrated the release of their latest book: "Straight Talk Scoliosis: The Journey Continues.” In this new book, Dr. Vitale gives his perspective on scoliosis and its treatment. Read More

Pediatric Spine Study Group (PSSG) Annual Report 2022

Posted on June 14, 2023

2022 was truly a positive, transformational year for the Pediatric Spine Foundation—a fact obvious to anyone who attended the 16th Annual International Congress on Early Onset Scoliosis (ICEOS) in Rome this year. For the past five years, we have worked to unite our two legacy study groups, and to make ICEOS the must-attend meeting for all who care for children with complex spine deformities. Read More

Advances in Pediatric Orthopedics: Personal Perspectives: Creating a Novel Self-Reported Questionnaire for Patients with EOS

Posted on May 25, 2023

Established in 2016, the 24-item Early-Onset Scoliosis Questionnaire (EOSQ-24) has become an important outcome measure that assesses the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with early onset scoliosis and the impact of their care on their families. Read More

Dr. Vitale Serves as Virtual Speaker for “Quality and Safety in Spine Surgery” in Bologna Italy

Posted on May 24, 2023

Dr. Michael Vitale was honored to be a Virtual Speaker at the 13th edition of the training course for operating room personnel “NURSING ROUND” entitled: QUALITY AND SAFETY IN SPINE SURGERY. Read More

Advances in Pediatric Orthopedics: Measuring SSI Risk in Pediatric Spine Deformity Surgery

Posted on April 25, 2023

The incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) in pediatric spinal deformity continues to remain high in the United States – reported to range up to 26.3 percent – despite considerable efforts to reduce the number. Predictive models for SSI previously published have had major limitations in methodology primarily due to a paucity of clinical data and few participating institutions. Read More

Advances in Pediatric Orthopedics: Assessing Shoulder Following Anterior Vertebral Body Tethering

Posted on March 24, 2023

Achieving shoulder balance has been described as an important indicator of clinical success following surgery for idiopathic scoliosis, one that drives patients’ satisfaction with their appearance after surgery. Consequently, shoulder balance is a critical component in surgical planning and when evaluating results. This subject was recently the focus of research undertaken by pediatric orthopedic surgeons Michael G. Vitale, MD, MPH and Benjamin D. Roye, MD. Read More

Greta—Helping Other Find the “Ability” in “Disability”

Posted on March 08, 2023

Greta Baier, 14, lives with a rare muscle disease called nemaline myopathy and has undergone three major spine surgeries to correct severe scoliosis. Yet none of that has stopped her from being an advocate for the disabled. In many ways, Greta ... Read More