Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy database

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Commissioning Through Evaluation: Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy Database

  • IRAS ID

    162253

  • Contact name

    Janet L Peacock

  • Contact email

    janet.peacock@kcl.ac.uk

  • Research summary

    A national database is being set-up to collate clinical outcome information before and after children undergo Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR). SDR is a surgical procedure that has been used for many years but has not been routinely available within the NHS. The SDR procedure is used to improve spasticity in children with cerebral palsy and involves dividing some of the nerve fibres running from the muscles back to the spinal cord. While it is believed that SDR is effective, there are no definitive data. In July 2014 NHS England commissioned five NHS Trusts to undertake SDR surgery in eligible children for a two-year period, and to collect detailed information on their outcomes. The proposed database will aggregate these data from the five centres and analyse them to provide overall evidence on the clinical effectiveness of SDR. This information will be used to inform future commissioning decisions.
    The database has been developed by the King’s Technology Evaluation Centre (KiTEC) in conjunction with NHS England and the national clinical SDR steering committee and its data sub-committee. KiTEC undertakes research evaluations for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and has been commissioned by NICE to undertake this work. Clinicians in the SDR data subgroup has liaised closely with KiTEC to agree which data to collect so that it the least amount needed and will be in a standardised format across all centres. When all two-year outcome data are recorded, KiTEC will analyse the data and present a report to NHS England, NICE and the SDR steering committee and data sub-group. While there are no firm plans to follow the children beyond two years post-surgery, all parties involved are hoping that further funding can be obtained to continue following these children up as these data will be unique.

  • REC name

    East of England - Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    14/EE/1155

  • Date of REC Opinion

    15 Sep 2014

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion