Rehabilitation after multilevel surgery in ambulant spastic children with cerebral palsy: Children and parent experiences

Purpose: This study explores post-operative family situation, rehabilitation and interdisciplinary cooperation for ambulant children with cerebral palsy (CP), after multilevel surgery.Methods: Eight ambulant spastic children with varied severity of CP and their parents were included. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were carried out separately with children and parents.Results: Children experiencing a low degree of post-operative pain were satisfied due to improved strength and ambulation, leading to increased social participation. A few experienced severe pain and modest physical improvement. Most families experienced a lack of information and communication between rehabilitation levels. Rehabilitation was considered strenuous because of complex and intense training programmes. Schools were mostly responsive to children's extra post-operative needs, but some examples of serious neglect and bullying occurred.Conclusion: Results imply the need for systematic securing of interdisciplinary knowledge t...