The procedure Kayley is facing:
please read.
Of all the surgical procedures currently performed on patients with cerebral palsy, selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) has undergone more thorough scientific scrutiny than any other (including orthopaedic). Accumulated evidence and our own experience indicate that SDR is an excellent option for selected patients with spastic CP. We believe parents and patients should inquire about SDR as a part of the management of CP before the patient undergoes orthopedic surgery.
Outline of the SDR procedure
SDR involves sectioning (cutting) of some of the sensory nerve fibers that come from the muscles and enter the spinal cord. Two groups of nerve roots leave the spinal cord and lie in the spinal canal. The ventral spinal roots send information to the muscle; the dorsal spinal roots transmit sensation from the muscle to the spinal cord.
Before and After Surgery
At the time of the operation, the neurosurgeon divides each of the dorsal roots into 3-5 rootlets and stimulates each rootlet electrically. By examining electromyographic (EMG) responses from muscles in the lower extremities, the surgical team identifies the rootlets that cause spasticity. The abnormal rootlets are selectively cut, leaving the normal rootlets intact.This reduces messages from the muscle, resulting in a better balance of activities of nerve cells in the spinal cord, and thus reduces spasticity.
For more info on SDR click here
http://www.stlouischildrens.org/content/medservices/aboutselectivedorsalrhizotomy.htm
We sent Kayleys evaluation DVD to Dr T.S Park in St Louis Childrens Hospital along with her MRI and Xrays and she was deemed a suitable candidate for this operation and we were told it would improve her condition significantly.
Donations
