Impact of Orthopedic Surgery on Parents of Children Affected by Cerebral Palsy: a Preliminary Study in Greece
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Published on: February 2, 2024
Assimina Tsibidaki1, Haridimos Tsibidakis2, Anastasia Tsamparli1
1University of the Aegean, Lesbos, Greece.
Background:
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.
Aim:
The aim of the study was to highlight the impact of orthopedic surgery on parents of children affected by cerebral palsy in Greece.
Materials And Methods:
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.
Results:
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.
Conclusions:
Parents of CP children have different perceptions of the clinical condition and a variety of expectations about orthopedic surgery and its outcomes.
