A girl with cerebral palsy is walking mostly unaided a year after having undergone a selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) operation. Her progress has stunned doctors. She still occasionally makes use of canes and crutches, but this is a huge upgrade from the cumbersome walking frame that she had to use previously.
Her exceptional progress within her first year after surgery might lead to further research into this area of cerebral palsy therapy to encourage similar swift results.
What is Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy?
According to the Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, SDR is a preferred option for some patients with spastic cerebral palsy. The hospital suggests consulting a doctor about this surgery before undergoing or considering orthopedic surgery.
The traditional surgery involves cutting a few sensory nerve fibers that connect the muscles and the spinal cord. The doctors will examine electromyographic responses to find the nerve fibers that are causing spasticity, and then they will cut those fibers. This removes the messages that the muscles receive from the abnormal sensory nerve fibers, reducing the spasticity.
The St. Louis hospital reports that it has performed this or other versions of SDR surgery on 140 patients, but that it is not recommended for all patients with spastic cerebral palsy.
Need a Cerebral Palsy Attorney in Florida?
If your child has developed cerebral palsy due to hospital error, then call the Miami birth injury lawyers at Farrell & Patel. We are devoted to helping victims and their families take on negligent hospitals and pharmaceutical businesses in their birth injury cases.
[Did You Know? The St. Louis Children’s Hospital is internationally renowned for its research in Cerebral Palsy spasticity.]
Farrell & Patel – Miami Birth Injury Lawyers
Source: http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2014/12/26/little-evie-is-walking-tall-after-surgery/
