Type of Surgery
Information

Last updated: 11/24/2009
Rhizotomy reduces spasticity, which should allow more normal gait and improve mobility. Patients may require fewer walking aids, such as walkers or crutches.
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Other Information
A rhizotomy (ɹaɪˈzɑtəmi) is a neurosurgical procedure that selectively severs problematic nerve roots in the spinal cord, most often to relieve the symptoms of neuromuscular conditions such as spastic diplegia and other forms of spastic cerebral palsy. In extreme cases, a rhizotomy may also be considered for a person suffering from severe back pain or a pinched nerve.
The sensory nerve roots are first separated from the motor ones. Identification of the nerve fibers to be cut is then made by means of electrical stimulation. The one(s) producing the pain or other problems are identified in this way, then selectively cut.
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Select comparative data from 1999 to 2006 include an 11 percent increase in the number of neurosurgeons with full-time academic appointments and a 6 percent increase in the number of female neurosurgeons.
From: AANS
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