SEMLARASS Surgery & Cerebral Palsy
Children with cerebral palsy usually have issues with muscle spasticity, which basically means that the child cannot effectively control their muscle movements. Those with spastic CP often suffer from “jerky” motions or a overly-contracted muscles which can affect simple activities such as grasping things, sitting up, or walking.
SEMLARASS Surgery to Treat CP
Dr. Deepak Sheran (in conjunction with his colleagues) developed a novel surgical treatment to help alleviate the symptoms and complications of spastic cerebral palsy which they called S.E.M.L.A.R.A.S.S., an acronym for Single Event Multilevel Lever Arm Restoration and Anti Spasticity Surgery.
This is a minimally-invasive type of surgery ideally carried out for children who are between the ages of 4 to 6, and seeks to correct spasticity, athetosis, contractures, bony deformities, and re-balance abnormal muscle forces producing gait deviations or other functional problems.
SEMLARASS Surgery is Defined by the Following Components
- Single Event: This means that the surgery is (usually) completed under a single anaesthetic. This means only one hospital visit, and one period of rehabilitation.
- Multilevel: Meaning that ALL affected regions (and orthopaedic deformities) are corrected simultaneously, and in view of interdependence of joints.
- Lever Arm Restoration: Refers to the simultaneous correction of the direction and pull of muscles through hip subluxation, femoral anteversion, tibial torsion, and hindfoot valgus.
- Anti Spasticity Surgery: Where myofascial surgery attempts to reduce muscle spasticity.
This type of surgery basically gives the growing child’s muscles and bones an opportunity to “grow in” correctly, which effectively improves movement as well as other vital functions such as organ function, fine motor skill development, and proper gait.
S.E.M.L.A.R.A.S.S. is said to be especially beneficial for children who suffer from spastic forms of cerebral palsy which affect the child’s arm(s).
To learn more about SEMLARASS and if it might be a good fit for your child, consult with your child’s doctor. Additional information on the procedure can be found on this page.