Two Grand Rapids hospitals pioneer treatment to help kids with cerebral palsy

A neurosurgery never before available in West Michigan—limited exposure selective dorsal rhizotomy—offers children suffering from spasticity the chance to walk easier.

A partnership between Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital (HDVCH) and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital furthers the cause by offering a comprehensive physical therapy program for pediatric patients undergoing the surgery.

Spasticity is a condition that affects a child’s muscles and makes walking difficult, as seen in children with cerebral palsy. Children between the ages of three and eight are good candidates for the surgery because their gait pattern is established but correctable.

“A small incision in the child’s mid lower back opens the end of the spinal cord so I can see the nerves and selectively group them into motor and sensory nerves,” says Dr. Stanley Skarli, the HDVCH neurosurgeon who performs the surgery. Dr. Skarli tests each sensory nerve to determine if it functions normally, and severs those that don’t.

“We are cutting nerves, but they are abnormal sensory nerves not motor nerves,” says Dr. Skarli. “In these children, usually 40 to 60 percent of the sensory nerves are abnormal.”

After surgery, the young patient requires intensive physical therapy to learn how to walk with reduced spasticity, and that's where Mary Free Bed comes in.

The Motion Analysis Center at Mary Free Bed uses state-of-the-art technology to measure the complexities of the child’s gait patterns.

“The program expedites care for patients by coordinating treatment, simplifying referrals and sharing documentation between the two hospitals,” adds Dr. Andrea Kuldanek, medical director of the pediatric and adolescent program at Mary Free Bed. “Children and their families now have access to the best from both hospitals when it comes to spasticity treatment.” 

Source - Dr. Stanley Skarli, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital; Dr. Andrea Kuldanek, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital

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