Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) is a permanent neurosurgical operation which reduces spasticity (stiffness) in the legs of tamariki/children with cerebral palsy (CP).
SDR is an operation to cut sensory nerves in the spinal cord. This reduces the spasticity (stiffness) in the legs.
It's important to remember that SDR surgery cannot be reversed or repeated. Cut nerves cannot grow back.
The operation takes several hours and requires a hospital stay.
After the operation, children need an intensive exercise programme to get strong and moving again. This takes many months.
Tamariki/children who have:
Tamariki/children who have:
SDR is best for tamariki/children who are:
Tamariki/children who are GMFCS II to III show the best results.
See what the GMFCS levels mean (PDF, 230KB) [1]
Find out more about cerebral palsy [2]
The benefits depend on function before surgery. Benefits include the following:
Complications after SDR are uncommon but can include:
SDR is currently not offered in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Most families/whānau have accessed SDR by paying for themselves for an operation in the USA or England.
Once back in Aotearoa New Zealand, your local therapy team may not be able to provide all the therapy your tamariki/child needs or that has been recommended.
Without regular therapy, your child may not do as well after the operation.
Therapy includes:
Children/tamariki need to be able to follow instructions and participate.
Remember, SDR cannot be reversed.
If you and your family/whānau are thinking about SDR for your child, talk to your local team and other Aotearoa New Zealand experts. Talk about whether SDR is the best option for your tamariki/child.
This content has been developed and approved by the Cerebral Palsy Clinical Network of the Paediatric Society of New Zealand.
This page last reviewed 23 June 2021.
Email us [3] your feedback
Links
[1] https://kidshealth.org.nz/sites/kidshealth/files/pdfs/GMFCS_English_Illustrations.pdf
[2] https://kidshealth.org.nz/cerebral-palsy
[3] https://kidshealth.org.nz/contact?from=http%3A%2F%2Fkidshealth.org.nz%2Fprint%2F2566%3Flanguage%3Den