SDR & CP

Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR)

Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy is spinal surgery performed by a neurosurgeon. So rather than going through the surgery to her legs to correct a problem that is only going to come back again one day, it actually 'cuts' the source of the problem. IT IS NOT A CURE for Cerebral Palsy, however. It severs the 'bad' feedback coming from the brain to the muscles groups, and releases the tightness and stops the deformities in its track. It seems to be an effective, safe, procedure that has been performed in the States for 23 years now, and has produced dramatic results in other kids. It enhances quality of life with the littlest of things -- kids of 6 or 7 years of age can finally put their own shoes on, and stuff like that. It makes daily physical therapy more worthwhile because the muscles retain the stretches more readily, rather than fighting against the body. It makes walking more comfortable, and less tiring. And it will prevent the body from deteriorating and deforming more than it already is.

We can already see, one year after Emma's orthopaedic surgery, that her body is beginning to deteriorate, and her feet/legs are trying to turn in again. Her walking, which is dramatically improved since the surgery, is already showing signs of deterioration, and we have already been told that she will need more surgery to her legs in a few years' time.  We are hoping that by having her undergo SDR, we may be able to prevent all that, or at least postpone it.

Emma will go to the St. Louis Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, USA for her operation.  Dr. T. S. Park and his team there have done over 2,000 of these procedures spanning 23 years, and have received nothing but glowing testimonies from the parents of children who have had SDR that we have contacted recently.

For more information on SDR go to the St. Louis website at:

http://www.stlouischildrens.org/content/medservices/AboutSelectiveDorsalRhizotomy.htm

About Cerebral Palsy

There are several different types of cerebral palsy. While some people are severely affected, others have only minor disruption, depending on which parts of the brain have been damaged.

The main types of cerebral palsy are:

• Spastic cerebral palsy - some of the muscles in the body are tight, stiff and weak, making control of movement difficult -- This is the kind that Emma has, she is considered Spastic Diplegia, meaning it affects both legs.
• Athetoid (dyskinetic) cerebral palsy - control of muscles is disrupted by spontaneous and unwanted movements. Control of posture is also disrupted
• Ataxic cerebral palsy - problems include difficulty with balance, shaky movements of hands or feet, and difficulty with speech
• Mixed cerebral palsy - a combination of two or more of the above

The symptoms of CP may take some months to become apparent and depend on the type. In spastic cerebral palsy (70 per cent of cases), the limbs become stiff and may be drawn in. There may be delayed motor milestones, such as crawling and walking, weakness of the limbs, an abnormal gait and slowness.

A common misconception is that people with cerebral palsy inevitably have learning difficulties. Some people with cerebral palsy do indeed have moderate or even severe learning difficulties, but just as in the rest of the population, there's a range of intelligence.

It's easiest to think of cerebral palsy as a condition in which part of the brain hasn't developed properly. This might be because of a variety of events occurring before, during or after birth. The most common cause of cerebral palsy is something that damages the brain while the baby is growing in the womb. These antenatal factors can be found in 80 per cent of those affected and include genetic problems, malformations of the brain and maternal infection (rubella, toxoplasmosis). Better maternity care has meant fewer babies are born with cerebral palsy due to birth trauma, but this has been offset by the improved survival of premature and low birthweight babies, who may be up to 50 times more at risk of cerebral palsy.

There's no cure for cerebral palsy. However, there are plenty of treatments and therapies that can reduce the impact of the condition by easing symptoms such as spasticity, and finding other ways to do things. Physiotherapy, and occupational therapy can all play an important part. Children with cerebral palsy do best when they get special help from an early age. Surgery is sometimes needed to correct any deformities that develop as a result of abnormal muscle development or function.

With help, most people with cerebral palsy are able to live much the same sort of lives as everyone else. They may have to work a bit harder to overcome practical problems, but most things are possible.

For more information go to:  http://www.about-cerebral-palsy.org/definition/index.html