SHANGHAI, Jan. 31, 2026 — Reported by *ShanghaiDoctor.cn* — Inside a rehabilitation training room at the Shanghai Children’s Medical Center (SCMC), 10-year-old Leah from Bulgaria is exerting all her effort to take steady steps. Today, she not only walks independently but can also navigate stepping over small hurdles. For a girl who once suffered from severe muscle spasms that prevented her from standing and confined her to a wheelchair, this scene was once unimaginable. Beaming at the camera, Leah expressed her pure joy at her newfound mobility.

According to her doctors, approximately 80% of children with cerebral palsy suffer from spastic hypertonia, a condition of excessive muscle tone, and Leah was one of them. Previously, she was plagued by daily muscle spasms and tremors. Her parents sought help from numerous local medical institutions in Bulgaria and tried various therapies, but with little success.

The turning point came last year when they learned from a fellow patient about a Bulgarian boy who successfully underwent surgery at the Shanghai Children’s Medical Center and was subsequently able to stand and walk. This reignited the family’s hope. After multiple online consultations and evaluations with the SCMC team, Leah was confirmed as a suitable candidate for the procedure.

Dr. Xiao Bo, Chief Physician of the Department of Functional Neurosurgery at SCMC, explained that the key to the surgery lies in the precise selection of the nerves that require treatment. He compared the spinal nerves to a “cable”: “The surgery involves entering the interior of this ‘cable’ to find the few specific nerves that are functioning abnormally and treating them.”

The human lumbar spine contains a vast number of spinal nerves. How to achieve precise targeting in this complex network was once a challenge faced by peers globally, leading to a decline in the international application of this surgical method. In 2018, however, Dr. Xiao Bo’s team proposed a new protocol for nerve root selection through in-depth research. This method offers stronger targeting, higher stability, and broader applicability, successfully breaking through the previous bottleneck.

Last May, Leah’s family flew to Shanghai specifically for the surgery. To their delight, just ten days post-operation, Leah successfully stood up. This year, she returned to Shanghai for follow-up visits and intensive rehabilitation training.

Leah’s mother, Sylvia, expressed her excitement: “She is getting better; the changes are huge. She likes this hospital; she doesn’t feel nervous here, which is different from how it was in Bulgaria. She also likes Shanghai.”

The innovation and development of Chinese medical technology are increasingly attracting the attention of the international medical community. Last year alone, more than 30 neurosurgeons from over 20 countries and regions traveled specifically to the Shanghai Children’s Medical Center to learn this technique.

As a pilot hospital for international medical tourism, SCMC admitted 14 international children with critical and difficult conditions who came to Shanghai specifically for treatment in 2025.

Hong Li, Vice President of the Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, stated: “Chinese medical technology has developed rapidly in recent years. We are confident that we can provide higher quality services for more children, not just in China, but for children from the international community as well.”