Orthopedic surgery option for stroke victims
6:49 p.m. Sunday, May 14, 2006
Three years ago, Liz Lewis suffered a stroke without warning. Lewis, 45, is a mother of three. She was unable to take care of herself or her family for more than a year.
“I couldn’t see. I couldn’t speak,” Lewis said. “I couldn’t move my right arm. Everything in my leg and foot was paralyzed.”
Lewis’ sight and speech returned after a few months. She began walking after rehabilitation, but she could only go short distances in a heavy brace.
“I wanted to die,” Lewis said. “Okay, I didn’t really want to, but I couldn’t get any further than I was.”
Lewis found a doctor at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Mary Ann Keenan, neuro-orthopedic surgeon, specialized in surgery that gives brain-injured patients more freedom in movement.
More Information
Every year about 700,000 Americans suffer from strokes. Visit the American Stroke Association Web site for more information on stroke prevention and treatment.
“Since we can’t fix the brain, what we do is try to fix the consequences of the brain injury in the arm or the leg,” Dr. Kennan said. “We move muscles and tendons around.”
After a stroke, the brain sets a new pattern for moving muscles. Dr. Kennan analyzed Lewis’ movement pattern. The surgery helps fix the new movement pattern, and helps the brain and body work together again.
For example, to correct and inward twisted foot, the surgeon split a tendon and reattached it in a “V” to pull the foot equally on both sides.
“You’re taking a mechanical solution to a much more complicated neurological problem,” Dr. Kennan said.
Three surgeries later, Lewis walked without hesitation.
“This is a whole year. One, two, three and I feel like a different person,” Lewis said.
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