When your child lives with cerebral palsy or spina bifida, every milestone is a moment worth celebrating. At the same time, we know that managing bone and joint complications along the way can feel overwhelming. Historically, addressing these orthopedic challenges meant putting children through an exhausting cycle of separate, single-joint surgeries. This is why Single-Event Multilevel Surgery (SEMLS) is a breakthrough in pediatric orthopedics. By correcting necessary bone and muscle issues in just one surgery SEMLS protects your child’s precious growing years, getting them out of the hospital and back to doing what they do best: just being a kid.
Benefits of Single-Event Multilevel Surgery (SEMLS)
By combining procedures, SEMLS reduces the total number of surgeries, minimizes time under anesthesia, and allows for one dedicated rehabilitation period.
Preparing for Surgery – Mapping Out Your Childs Personalized Plan
No two children experience cerebral palsy or spina bifida in the exact same way. Because every surgical plan is customized to your child’s unique biomechanics, preoperative planning relies on detailed clinical evaluation:
What to Expect – Recovery and Rehabilitation
Recovery from SEMLS is a marathon, not a sprint. Every child progresses at their own pace; rehabilitation follows four main phases:
Phase 1 Comfort and Healing (Hospital Stay)
Your child will recover in the hospital for several days while the care team closely monitors healing and optimizes pain control.
Protecting Alignment: Casts, splints, and or braces are used to safeguard newly aligned bones and tissues as they heal.
Gentle Movement: Therapists will introduce gentle range-of-motion exercises and assisted standing to maintain joint flexibility and promote healing.
Phase 2: Removable Bracing and Rehabilitation (Early Weeks)
Transitional Bracing: Rigid casts are changed out to removeable casts.
Physical Therapy: This phase requires several physical therapy sessions per week focusing on regaining strength in weakened muscles.
Aquatic Therapy: Once incisions are healed, pool therapy may be introduced. Water buoyancy reduces joint strain, making it easier and less painful to practice moving.
Phase 3: Retraining Movement Habits (Mid Recovery)
Rewiring Muscle Memory: Therapists use targeted exercises to help establish efficient walking mechanics to help break old habbits like toe walking and or scissoring.
Custom Orthotics: Your child will be fitted with custom orthotics to provide external support and maintain alignment during daily activity.
Phase 4 Real World Independence (12 to 24 Months)
The final phase transitions away from basic clinical exercises toward real-world function, endurance and play.
Building Stamina: Over the next two years muscle strength and coordination will steadily develop.
Back to Play: Therapy shifts from clinical exercises to real world fun, climbing stairs, navigating playgrounds, and playing with friends.
Partnering with Your Care Team
Deciding on an orthopedic surgery for your child is a significant decision. While the path to recovery takes time and patience, you will not navigate it alone. Our pediatric orthopaedic team is committed to supporting and guiding your family through every stage, from the first evaluation through rehabilitation.
It is important to take your child to pediatric specialists who are experts in treating only kids. At Children’s Orthopaedic and Scoliosis Surgery Associates, LLP our board certified, fellowship trained, specialists provide the best child-friendly care using the latest cutting-edge technology that results in the safest and most accurate outcomes. Please call our office at (727) 898-2663 to schedule an appointment.
Medically reviewed by Daniel C. Bland, MD Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon.
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