Early Intensive Inpatient Rehabilitation for Children Undergoing Hemispherotomy

Background: Hemispherotomy is the treatment of choice for children with refractory epilepsy. Although hemiplegia, sensory and motor impairments result from this surgical procedure, seizure control is effective as well as anticonvulsant dose reduction. Description of functional gains after rehabilitation of these children are still incomplete. Aims: To evaluate the effects of an early intensive rehabilitation program in the gross motor function of lower limbs after 30, 90, 180 and 360 days of surgery for the treatment of epilepsy (hemispherotomy), and compare to historic controls. Materials and Methods: prospective and longitudinal case series, with historic controls. Fourteen out of sixteen children who underwent hemispherotomy from January 2012 to February 2013 received an early rehabilitation protocol (ERP). Functional assessment included the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Fugl-Meyer Scale (FMS) lower limb subscale, and Gross Motor Function System of Classification (GMFCS), as well as the need of wheelchairs and walking aids. A historical group of 13 children who received a conventional rehabilitation protocol (CRP) was used as control. Results: FMS and BBS improved in ERP subjects until 6 months after surgery and reached a plateau. One year after hemispherotomy, all children in the ERP group could walk independently and had mild limitations to mobility whereas, among those in the CRP subjects, there was a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal deformities and severe gait restrictions. Conclusions: ERP promotes rapid functional recovery during one-year follow-up and, as compared to the CRP group, the average functional capacity of the ERP group was considerably higher. These data support the beneficial effects of a specific, individualized and early rehabilitation approach for such patients.