Our highly trained neurosurgeons have the expertise to treat hundreds of conditions that affect a child’s central nervous system (the brain, spinal cord and nerves). We provide comprehensive care through a multidisciplinary approach, using the latest, most advanced techniques and technology.
These tumors are abnormal growths that form in the brain, spinal cord and nerves, and they can be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Even if a tumor is benign, it can press on areas of the brain, spinal cord or nerves and prevent them from working the way they should. Learn more about our Brain Tumor Program
Some children are born with conditions that affect the structure of their brain or spinal cord, causing symptoms that range from mild to severe. Our team can often diagnose congenital malformations in babies before birth, to decide on treatment, which usually takes place after birth. Some treatments do take place in-utero, as well. Among the conditions we treat are:
All types of spina bifida, from spina bifida occulta to myelomeningocele
Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes repeated seizures. A seizure is a sudden burst of electrical activity in the brain that can cause changes in behavior, movements, feelings or awareness. Specialists in our Level 4 Epilepsy Center evaluate and treat children with all types of seizure disorders, epilepsy syndromes and their causes, including:
Cortical dysplasia
Extratemporal lobe epilepsy
Hemimegalencephaly
Hypothalamic hamartoma
Landau-Kleffner syndrome
Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
Mesial temporal sclerosis
Rasmussen syndrome
Sturge-Weber syndrome
Tuberous sclerosis
Tumor-related epilepsy
Hydrocephalus is a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the open areas inside the brain, called ventricles. The fluid buildup can put pressure on the brain, affecting its development. Our neurosurgeons offer all surgical procedures to treat hydrocephalus and the conditions that cause it.
Movement disorders cause a child to move too much or too little, with difficulty controlling movements. These conditions result from problems with signals between the brain and muscles, which travel through the spinal cord and nerves. The team in our Movement Disorders Program diagnoses and treats children who have conditions including, but not limited to, cerebral palsy, dystonia, and spasticity (congenital, post-traumatic or spinal cord injury)
Structural conditions in a child’s spine can cause problems with the spine’s curve or alignment, leading to pain, nerve problems and difficulty with movement. Spinal deformities can develop before birth or happen after an injury, and they may occur with other symptoms as part of a syndrome. Our team has expertise in neurosurgery and nonsurgical treatments to treat these conditions:
Craniocervical instability
Klippel-Feil syndrome
Kyphosis
Scoliosis
Spinal problems related to Down syndrome
Spondylolisthesis
These conditions are structural problems in the blood vessels in and around the brain and spine, affecting blood and oxygen flow. Sometimes, children are born with these conditions; other types develop later. Our team treats all types of central nervous system vascular malformations, which include:
Arteriovenous fistulas of the brain and spine (AVF)
