Impact of Orthopedic Surgery on Parents of Children Affected by Cerebral Palsy: a Preliminary Study in Greece

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a serious disorder with an important impact not only on the affected person but also on parents and the entire family. CP children often undergo surgery with long stay hospitalization. The aim of the study was to highlight the impact of orthopedic surgery on parents of children affected by cerebral palsy in Greece. The semi-structured interviews of 80 parents (40 fathers and 40 mothers) of nuclear and intact families were collected. All parents were of Greek nationality, belonged to the middle socio-economic class and had at least one child affected by CP candidate to orthopedic surgery. The majority of parents’ perception was that CP is a condition requiring special education, need for specialized services and a medical problem that affects the entire family. Their expectations after orthopedic surgery were focused mainly on child’s healing and hope to have a “healthy” child, while expectations from future surgery were focused on improving child’s quality of life, movement and gait. Parents of CP children have different perceptions of the clinical condition and a variety of expectations about orthopedic surgery and its outcomes.