Cerebral palsy surgery stands test of time: study

MONTREAL - Ali Ammar had a difficult start in life. Born with a severe form of cerebral palsy, Ammar was paralyzed on one side of his body.

He doesnt remember the surgery he had at the Montreal Childrens Hospital when he was 2, but he can tell from old family videos that the difference was almost immediate.

Now 24, he can walk unaided, more than two decades after doctors said he would rely on a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Its a process, but since the first day you get better and better, he said on Tuesday at the Childrens, where doctors presented the results of the first study into the long-term effectiveness of the treatment he received as a toddler.

The technique, called selective dorsal rhizotomy, is well-established, but prior to the study its long-term effectiveness was unclear.

The surgery is primarily used to treat spastic cerebral palsy, which causes tightness in limb muscles and is the most common form of the disorder.

Cerebral palsy affects approximately two out of every 1,000 children born in Quebec, according to research published in 2013 by doctors at the Childrens and the McGill University Health Centre.

People with spastic cerebral palsy have difficulty walking and moving their limbs, and may have uncontrollable muscle spasms.

When he arrived in Montreal from Lebanon as an 18-month-old, Ammar relied on a walker, unable to support himself on his own.

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Cerebral palsy surgery stands test of time: study