CEREBRAL PALSY NEWS
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Controversial cerebral palsy surgery
March 21, 2005
Called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy, the controversial cerebral palsy surgery has allowed a quality of life improvement for many children who have undergone the technically challenging procedure.
According to experts, the cerebral palsy surgery can take around three to four hours to perform, and it requires fairly sophisticated electrodiagnostic monitoring to perform. While many children with cerebral palsy must undergo future orthopedic surgeries, with Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy the procedure should prevent this from occurring.
The director of the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation said Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy is a controversial cerebral palsy surgery because it is considered too “radical” by some surgeons. The operation on the lower back, identified through electronic simulation, will selectively sever the nerves on the dorsal (posterior) nerve fibers to the spinal cord that causes spasticity and makes walking difficult.
The difference from the cerebral palsy surgery can be dramatic, but the procedure is also very serious since once the nerve is cut, there is no going back. Some doctors are concerned with how children's bodies will respond to the cerebral palsy surgery in the long-term since many children also have problems with their hips and knees.
Requiring an intensive period of rehabilitation, the cerebral palsy surgery is not usually considered a front-line treatment. Cerebral palsy is a condition that affects body movement and muscle coordination.
For more information on cerebral palsy surgery, please contact us to confer with a lawyer.
