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By Lucy Notarantonio
Senior Reporter
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A man has gone viral after posting dramatic before-and-after X-rays of his spine following surgery to correct severe scoliosis.
Oliver Mandela, who goes by u/Sure_Pangolin_9421 on Reddit, titled his post: "After a 6-hour surgery on March 11, I'm cured of scoliosis!" The powerful transformation struck a chord online, amassing over 21,000 upvotes.
The 20-year-old underwent what is known as spinal fusion—a technique used to permanently join two or more vertebrae in the spine.
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"The surgery has made my life significantly better," he told Newsweek. "Before, I had breathing problems, constant pain, and a limp due to my unlevel hips. Now, I have more energy, can breathe better, and now longer have a limp!"
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To understand more about the condition, Newsweek spoke with Dr. Nikita Kanani, a U.K.-based general practitioner. She said: "Scoliosis is a condition where the spine curves sideways, often forming an 'S' or 'C' shape."
"In most cases, the cause is unknown—this is called idiopathic scoliosis. But it can also result from congenital conditions, neurological or muscular disorders like cerebral palsy, or injury. Hormonal changes, growth spurts, and genetics may also contribute, especially during adolescence."
Who Is Affected by Scoliosis?
Nearly 7 million people in the U.S. are living with scoliosis, making it the most common spinal condition among school-aged children, according to the National Scoliosis Foundation.
The Reddit user recalled the impact of the condition on his younger years, commenting: "I got called the sideways hunchback of Notre Dame in high school. It was very painful."
Kanani, the chief strategy and innovation officer at Aneira Health, a digital health care provider focused on women's health noted that scoliosis can affect anyone.
But it typically emerges during puberty and is more frequently diagnosed in girls. "Girls are also more likely to require treatment, even though most cases are mild. Adults may develop scoliosis too—usually due to age-related degeneration in the spine," she said.
How Does Scoliosis Affect Daily Life?
"For some people, scoliosis causes little disruption," said Kanani. "But for others, it can result in pain, reduced mobility, fatigue, and lower self-esteem—especially during adolescence. In more severe cases, it can even impair heart or lung function. The emotional toll is significant, and that's why care should be holistic—not just focused on the curvature, but on the whole person."
Postsurgery, the man reported a remarkable recovery. "I feel great," he told fellow Redditors. "I'm in no pain at all aside from the occasional shoulder ache. It's amazing how fast the body heals from something so drastic."
He added: "I have very good mobility, for which I'm very grateful."
Reddit Reacts
Support and admiration poured in from fellow users. One wrote: "So happy for you, I've dealt with this for years—biggest advice is always stretch, it really helps."
Another commented: "Awesome. Very brave to go through. Glad you're doing well."
A third added: "Congrats, very happy for you. I've seen the surgery on YouTube—it looks painful. But I bet it's a thousand times better than the alternative."
Update, 06/13/25 04:01 a.m. ET: This story has been updated to add the original X-ray image.
Update, 06/13/25 06:08 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with comments from Oliver Mandela.
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