i havent been in your situation before but i will tell you this; dont fret too much about your sons scoliosis. an 11 degree curve isnt too bad and if it does get worse, then they will more than likely to put him in a brace.

i have had progressive scoliosis and surgery to correct it. my sister, however, was diagnosed with a curve of 20-25 degrees and required no action. so i know that siblings can have very different outcomes with scoliosis. probably no need to assume that your son's will progress to the point of requiring surgery or even any treatment at all...

Scoliosis is a hereditary condition, often occurring in more than one family member. I read what happened to your daughter, and I feel like I am reading my own story. (Spinal Fusion at 14, Double Major Curve 59 degrees on the top 31 on the bottom.)

While boys generally do not get Scoliosis as bad as girls, they can still end up with self esteem issues, pain, etc., if the curve DOES get bad enough.

Friend, I do not know if you are on Facebook or not, but if you are you NEED to connect with some Scoliosis support groups for parents of children with Scoliosis! The internet and Facebook not only provide support, BUT INFORMATION that will help you find alternatives to surgery and answers.

I do not want to scare you, but Scoliosis surgery is not always the end of Scoliosis problems. I, myself, did well after surgery for 6 years then I developed Failed Surgery Syndrome, aka Flatback Syndrome, and the pain and limitations it has created have torn my life apart. I am a major advocate for treating children's Scoliosis from the moment it is detected, and doing X-rays if necessary, in conjunction with early Scoliosis scans, and my chief goal is to help others learn of the MANY other options they have so surgery is not the ANSWER, it is the LAST RESORT.

Here is my Personal Scoliosis story that I have on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=494305935753

Here are some VERY important links about treating Scoliosis, one of them is a You Tube video about an innovative treatment at the CLEAR Institute. I don't know how long ago your daughter had surgery, I just wish I could have reached you all before she did. Once a person has one spinal fusion, their spines permanently lose range of motion, have a very good chance of having more surgery at some point in the future, and risk developing long-term complications. I hope your son can benefit from these and avoid surgery, too...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72MrVWR-Vt0&feature=player_embedded#at=42

http://www.clear-institute.org/

http://hubpages.com/hub/Scoliosis-Prevention

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_202728516432692

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_121422727943823

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_165139966882081

How old is your son??? If he is under 5 years old, MEHTA casting is the MOST effective form of treatment for Infantile Scoliosis!!!
It is done at Shriner's Hospitals (NOT at most of the hospitals in the U.S.) It is a shame most of the hospitals don't find out about it or promote it, it saves lives!!! It is a little known gem!

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/infantile_scoliosis/

This is the infantile scoliosis group on yahoo above.

And here is a link about a true story of a boy whose radical Scoliosis was cured by MEHTA casting!

http://girltomom.com/bexons-story

Here is my Note about Treating Scoliosis in:

Infants and Toddlers:
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=495140005753

Ages 6 to Adult:
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=502008840753

You should definately watch your son closely, I am the oldest in my family, I have scoliosis and had the surgery at 15. My sister also had to have the surgery due to scoliosis and my brother has the heart murmer which my parents were told is an occurence of the scoliosis. I am so sorry your family is going through this, unfortunately my story is very similar to Edythe's. I also started having trouble in the 6th year following my surgery, I battle every day with my neck and lower back. I wish you and your family the best.

Thanks for your comments. I took my daughter to Shriners for her yearly x-rays this week and asked about my son. They said what our dr told us was consistent to what they would have told me. I can bring him in next year (for my daughter's next x-rays) and they can take a baseline x-ray of him then. They said to really start paying attention around 13/14 yrs of age.

I'm mostly hoping to avoid the brace and possible surgery. He will fight all of this every inch of the way if it happens. My daughter just went along with it and for the most part was pretty easy going.