In March 2016, three Cincinnati Children’s specialists —Charles Stevenson, MD, neurosurgery; Douglas Kinnett, MD, physical medicine and rehabilitation; and John McAuliffe, MD, anesthesiology — traveled to Genoa, Italy, as part of the Division of Neurosurgery’s educational partnership with the Gaslini Institute. There, they worked with clinical staff to help establish a selective dorsal rhizotomy program that includes medical, surgical and rehabilitative care.

During the visit, surgeons performed successful rhizotomy surgery on two patients with spastic diplegia — the procedures were the first of their kind at the Gaslini Institute and a rarity in Italy. Previously, Cincinnati Children’s neurosurgeons trained Gaslini specialists in treating patients with epilepsy.