Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy FAQ

Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy FAQ Website What is a selective dorsal rhizotomy? This surgery helps make the muscles in your child’s legs less tight. The tightness is called “spasticity.”

What happens during selective dorsal rhizotomy during surgery?

A neurosurgeon makes a small cut in your child’s lower back. Nerves are tested, and the ones causing the tightness (“spasticity”) are cut. This helps reduce the tightness for good. Then, the surgeon closes your child’s back with stitches.
How can selective dorsal rhizotomy help my child? This surgery can help by:

• Making muscles less tight and painful.
• Helping your child walk better.
• Improving movement and making daily tasks like getting dressed and bathing easier.
• Possibly lowering the need for surgeries in the hips and legs.

Who can get selective dorsal rhizotomy surgery?

Not all kids with cerebral palsy should have this surgery. A team of experts at the spasticity clinic – including doctors, surgeons and therapists – will decide if surgery is the right option.
What happens before selective dorsal rhizotomy surgery? Your child will need:

• A visit to talk about the surgery and pick a date, if needed. It must be at least 3 months after their last Botox® or nerve block procedure.
• A visit with the presurgery team.
• Blood tests.
• A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.
• A plan to slowly stop some muscle medicine if your child is taking any.
• A plan to start a medicine called “gabapentin” about a week before surgery.

What happens after selective dorsal rhizotomy surgery?

Your child might seem weaker at first because they no longer have the tightness that helped them moved. Therapy will help them learn to move in a better way and includes:

Inpatient rehab

About 3-4 days after surgery, your child will start rehab. They will see physical and occupational therapists twice a day. If they saw a speech therapist before, they may see one in the hospital. A psychologist may also help your child adjust to changes since surgery. This hospital stay usually lasts 2-4 weeks.

Day rehab

After going home, your child will go to day rehab in Akron. They’ll see therapists twice a day, five days a week - similar to a school day. If you live far away, you can stay at the Ronald McDonald House. This part of rehab usually lasts 4-8 weeks. During both rehab times, most kids miss school. A teacher at the hospital will help your child keep up with schoolwork.

Daily outpatient therapy

After day rehab, your child will have physical -and maybe occupational -therapy every day for about 4 weeks.

Ongoing outpatient therapy

After that, your child will keep going to therapy 2-4 times a week. This might go on for 1-2 years to keep building strength and skills.