• Jae Hyuk Yang, Hong Jin Kim, Dong-Gune Chang, Yunjin Nam, and Seung Woo Suh.
• Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Korea University Anam Hospital, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Korea.
• World Neurosurg. 2023 Jul 1; 175: e201e207e201-e207.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the learning curve of minimally invasive scoliosis surgery (MISS) in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).MethodsA total of 76 AIS patients who underwent MISS were included from March 2015 to February 2017. The cases were divided chronologically into early period group (Group A, March 2015-February 2016, n = 31) and late period group (Group B, March 2016-February 2017, n = 45). Radiological parameters, operative parameters, and clinical outcomes were included in this study. The selected criteria for receiver operating characteristic analysis used to assess learning curve were mean operative time (≤389 minutes) and estimated blood loss (EBL) (≤948 mL).ResultsThe mean operative time was 389 minutes, and the EBL was 948 mL. The mean operative time was significantly reduced in the late period group (360 minutes) compared to the early period group (431 minutes) (P < 0.005). The mean EBL was significantly reduced for the late period group (798 mL) compared to the early period group (1164 mL) (P < 0.001). Forty-six cases were required to achieve the preset criteria (area under the curve 0.858; P < 0.001; sensitivity 0.778; specificity 0.796).ConclusionsA mild learning curve was demonstrated in MISS for AIS with significant improvement in operative times and EBL over time. Experience of more than 46 cases of MISS was required to obtain proficient surgical skills for a trained surgeon of conventional open scoliosis surgery.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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