On Monday we wrote about selective dorsal rhizotomy, a treatment to improve muscle control for children with spastic cerebral palsy. While there is no cure for cerebral palsy, there are surgery options for improving quality of life.
- Orthopedic Surgery
Many children with cerebral palsy undergo orthopedic surgery in their early years. Orthopedic surgery attempts to correct stiff muscles and allow the child to walk. Some critics of this surgery point out that there is little follow-up data available, and that some benefits are temporary. Patients usually require multiple variations of this operation.
- Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy
For people with spastic cerebral palsy, abnormal components of the nervous system send incorrect signals to muscles, resulting in spasms. In this costly procedure (about $30,000), the surgeon cuts the nerves responsible for sending these malformed signals. While this procedure is usually successful in children, more research is needed to determine if it can help adults.
- Intrathecal Baclofen Pumps
We blogged about intrathecal baclofen pumps earlier this year: the pump is a small, circular device implanted into the patient’s abdomen. It releases certain chemicals that can keep spasms under control. Doctors can customize the device to fit each patient, and follow-up operations are rare.
While none of these offer a permanent cure for cerebral palsy, they can help improve the quality of life for people with the condition. If you believe that a medical error caused a loved one to develop cerebral palsy, call us at 1-800-460-0606 or submit a contact form. Our cerebral palsy lawyers might be able to help you cover medical costs for these operations.
Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP – cerebral palsy attorneys
