Pediatric complex spine program: How to request a referral

Choosing who will perform your child’s complex spine surgery is a huge decision. Our experts will help make that decision easier. We care for children with the most challenging spine conditions through the UW Health Kids Complex Spine Clinic.

Our team collaborates to optimize the safety of our patients while seeking new ways to utilize robotic-assisted and minimally invasive techniques in spine surgery. We use the latest technologies to alleviate pain, discomfort and movement limitations for your child. Spine specialists from pediatric orthopedic surgery and pediatric neurosurgery work together to provide your child’s care. We also offer education and resources for parents and caregivers.

When to see a pediatric orthopedic surgeon or pediatric neurosurgeon

Your child might need to see a pediatric orthopedic surgeon or pediatric neurosurgeon if:

• Their spine condition is causing unusual back pain that may be accompanied by fever, weakness, numbness, bowel or bladder problems, or problems walking

• Physical therapy, medication, or home exercises have not corrected their spinal condition

• Their condition affects two or more areas of the spinal column (neck, mid-back, lower back)

• There is a noticeable deformity of the spine – asymmetry in the shoulder or waist or a rounded upper back

• Your child has been diagnosed with one of the following: Scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, kyphosis, cervical spine disorders, spinal tumors, spinal trauma, spinal infection, congenital spine syndromes, achondroplasia, Down syndrome, Marfan spine, Morquio syndrome

Please speak with your child's primary care physician to arrange a referral to our program. Currently, we do not accept self-referrals from patients.

If you think your child might benefit from complex spine surgery and you’ve tried other methods to alleviate discomfort or physical limitations in the past, the first step is to talk to your child's primary care provider.

Your primary care physician will follow a simple referral process to our program and will coordinate with us to share your child's medical records and any test results that may help us learn more about your child’s history.

Physicians can go to our Refer a Patient section for details on how to make a referral to UW Health.

We ask referring providers to share the patient's brief history and copies of available imaging including X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans with our team. We will need the images themselves, not just the radiology reports. These can be imported virtually using ImageShare or by sending a disc with the images with the patient for their appointment at our facility.

• Consult our how to Refer a Patient section

• Complete and submit form online or print, complete and fax

• Follow instructions for sending

• Call the UW Health Kids Specialties Clinic at (608) 263-6420 with questions