The depth and breadth of expertise within the Division of Neurosurgery spans the clinical spectrum of problems affecting children’s brains, spinal cords and nerves.
Our unique team approach to managing challenging neurological problems has improved outcomes, reduced the number of surgeries that children require and allowed patients’ advanced access to innovative treatments.
Innovation is at the heart of all we do. Our division, for instance, was among the first to use cranial vault reconstruction (CVR) to reshape the head and among the first to modify and use CVR techniques for mid-face reconstructions following trauma or tumor resection.
We are currently focused on research to:
Evaluate Hydrocephalus-Linked Headaches Using Magnetic Resonance Elastography
Our division is pioneering new diagnostic options for hydrocephalic children with chronic headaches. By implanting a pressure sensor and conducting ICU-based monitoring, we can assess potential correlations between headaches and intracranial pressure. In collaboration with radiologists, we are also developing a groundbreaking magnetic resonance elastography technique that noninvasively gauges whether brain tissue elasticity decreases due to shunting.
Provide New Treatment Options for Children and Adults with Chronic Disabilities
Focal hypertonicity accompanying conditions such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida and stroke can freeze joints and severely impede normal movement. Injection-based denervation therapies offer only temporary relief or weaken muscles. We are seeing promising initial results using an alternative method of selectively cutting only problematic nerve fibers thereby resolving abnormal spasticity and other forms of hypertonicity while preserving muscle strength and function.