How to Qualify for Rhizotomy

Cerebral palsy symptoms usually appear in young children, causing them difficulty with walking and movement, stiff or floppy muscles and lack of coordination. According to the Mayo Clinic, cerebral palsy occurs in two to four children out of every 1,000 births in the United States and Europe. Selective dorsal rhizotomy is a surgical procedure that opens up the child's back, so the surgeon can view the nerves and the lower spinal cord. The surgeon identifies the nerves that cause too much muscle tone and cuts them to help relieve some cerebral palsy symptoms. Other types of rhizotomies include closed rhizotomies and percutaneous rhizotomies, which are not usually permanent, though selective dorsal rhizotomies are the most common procedures. Rhizotomies are generally performed on young children, though older children and even some adults can qualify as well.

Instructions

• 1

  Be between 3 and 10 years old. Selective dorsal rhizotomy procedures are most successful on young children. Older children and adults usually need to be exceptional candidates in other ways before a surgeon will consider the procedure.

• 2

  Participate in a physical therapy program to help with mobility. Cerebral palsy patients who actively engage in physical therapy are more likely to see improvements after a rhizotomy.

• 3

  Show some form of forward movement. Children who can walk forward at least a few steps without falling are good candidates for rhizotomy because they will likely see some improvement in leg stability.

• 4

  Display very little movement. Some cerebral palsy patients have very little control over their limbs. Selective dorsal rhizotomy is often a good option for these patients because the improvements from the surgery sometimes give them more independence by allowing them to sit longer, use a power wheelchair on their own and use a toilet seat.

• 5

  Talk to your doctor about the possibility of rhizotomy surgery. Cerebral palsy patients who wish to qualify for the surgery usually must meet with physical and occupational therapists to evaluate the patient's condition and determine his potential. Neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons also evaluate cerebral palsy patients prior to selective dorsal rhizotomy to determine if the surgery is a good option for the individual or whether a different type of surgery would likely result in improvement.