Park Performs 2000th Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy Procedure
In July, chief neurosurgeon T. S. Park, MD performed his 2000th selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) procedure for improving mobility in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
Candidates for SDR have spasticity, or increased muscle tension caused by their CP. During the procedure, Dr. Park, St. Louis Children’s Hospital neurosurgeon-in-chief and chief of the division of pediatric neurology at Washington University School of Medicine, identifies and cuts nerve roots within the spine that cause the spasticity, resulting in smoother, freer movements.
“The procedure gives patients the opportunity to do more activities,” says Dr. Park, who refined the SDR technique by reducing the amount of spine removed during the operation.
“One of the problems with the old procedure was they had to remove a lot of bones from the spine, which led to spine and back problems,” says Dr. Park. “My technique only requires removing the bone from one vertebra and as a result we prevent spine problems.”
At the time, many within the medical community were not convinced. The procedure was considered ‘experimental,’ as data did not yet exist to support its safety and efficacy.
“We went thought a lot, published a lot of papers,” says Dr. Park. “And over time, parents became very active supporters.”
More poignant than 24 years of research documenting the success of the surgery, are the first-hand accounts from parents who say the procedure helped their child transition from a wheelchair to a walker, or that Dr. Park is responsible for their child’s first steps.
In the 24 years since Dr. Park began performing SDR, no patient has experienced any serious complications. Children with cerebral palsy have traveled to St. Louis from nearly every state in the U.S., and 42 countries around the world.
“I’m more gratified than ever,” says Dr. Park. “There are 2,000 former patients leading a better life around the nation and world. Sometimes parents call to say their child is 30 years old and leading a normal life. It’s wonderful.”
Sophie’s Story
Sophie Nugent’s lifelong dream has always been to be a dancer, according to her mom, Debbie. But for Sophie, a 5-year-old from West Sussex, England, learning to dance seemed as impossible task. Sophie has cerebral palsy.
Sophie has used both a wheelchair and a walking frame to assist her as needed, but as her body continued to deteriorate under the disease, her parents believed she would eventually need a full-time wheelchair to support her weight.
There is no cure for cerebral palsy and, until just a few months ago, the Nugents didn’t realize any options existed for a child like Sophie, with muscle stiffness, or spasticity, caused by the disease.
Then they saw a news story about a child from the UK who had traveled to St. Louis Children’s Hospital for a unique procedure to reduce spasticity and improve the child’s ability to move – to walk.
“Seeing that little girl on the news get it done, that was the drive for us” says Debbie. “And watching Sophie miss out – seeing all her friends run off and leave her behind – we knew we had to go for it.”
The Nugents brought Sophie to St. Louis Children’s Hospital in early July, where Sophie became Dr. Park’s 2,000th patient to receive selective dorsal rhizotomy.
“We follow Dr. Park on his Facebook page, so we knew the 2,000th surgery was coming up,” says Debbie. “We were wondering if it would be us because we knew we’d be here that week.”
Just three days after her surgery, Sophie’s parents already noticed an improvement in her mobility. “Her feet are nice and loose,” said Debbie. “Before, she couldn’t wiggle her toes. Now she can.”
Dr. Park expects that Sophie will not need any assistance with walking indoors, or for short distances outdoors. “For long-distance, outdoor walking, she will need some assistance – one cane or two canes.”
But plans for a wheelchair are history. Nine days after her surgery, Sophie was already walking.
“She amazed us today walking three flat steps unaided which she has never done before,” said Debbie, shortly after the surgery. “SDR has completely been the right decision.”
Connecting Around the World
Dr. Park and his team are connecting with families around the world through social media and news outlets. In recent months, international news stories have profiled SDR patients and shared stories of hope to families of children with cerebral palsy. In fact, 2,000th SDR patient Sophie Nugent’s family learned about the unique procedure through a news story on the BBC in the U.K. which profiled a child receiving SDR. “Seeing that little girl on the news get it done, that was the drive for us,” says mom Debbie.
Dr. Park’s team also has a Facebook page with more than 1,100 members who share stories and information.
“Now more than ever, parents are actively researching the SDR procedure and connecting with other families,” says Dr. Park. “We are seeing more international patients that have learned about us through the internet and news stories.”
