The division’s specialists include a pediatric neurosurgeon, Dr. Andrea Bartoli, and it works closely with the Pediatric Surgery Division.
Epilepsy surgery
All referred children with epilepsy are treated at the Pre-surgery Epilepsy Unit in order to perform an accurate assessment and to detect the cause of seizures. A neurosurgical intervention may be considered when the cause of the child’s epilepsy is clearly identified. Various types of surgeries are then possible.
Hydrocephalus
Depending on the type of hydrocephalus, treatment involves either the placement of a ventriculoperitoneal drain with a valve or an endoscopic operation.
Pediatric brain tumors
Depending on their degree of severity (WHO grade), these tumors require a multidisciplinary approach (neurosurgery, oncology, radiation oncology).
Craniofacial surgery (craniosynostosis)
Craniosynostosis is manifested by an abnormally shaped head. This is a congenital abnormality (present at birth) that involves the premature closure of one or more cranial sutures. The sutures are the connections that separate each bone in the skull. Several surgical techniques such as scaphocephaly, plagiocephaly and trigoncephaly are able to correct this pathology.
Spina bifida
Spina bifida is a congenital deformity of the spine and spinal cord, which appears during the third or fourth week of pregnancy. The consequences in the newborn vary according to the degree of spinal cord injury. The baby may have problems ranging from mild movement difficulties to serious mental and functional problems. A common serious complication is hydrocephalus. A surgical intervention repairs the lesions or openings in the child's spine shortly after birth.
Cranial-cerebral trauma
They are treated by the Neurosurgery Division in collaboration with the Pediatric Emergency Division and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit based on the severity of the trauma.