Paediatric neurosurgery
Paediatric neurosurgery is a branch of medicine that involves the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral and central nervous system diseases in children. Parents should contact a paediatric neurosurgeon if they notice alarming symptoms in their children, such as back pain, tingling limbs, headache and dizziness. Young patients of ENEL-SPORT centres in Łódź and Warsaw are provided health care services by experienced and highly qualified paediatric neurosurgery specialists.
A paediatric neurosurgeon is a doctor who has knowledge about the position and function of nerves in the child’s body. They can perform sometimes very complex and high-precision surgical procedures and interpret the results of diagnostic imaging examinations, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. Additionally, they must be empathic and kind, and have the right touch with children, so that the visit of a young patient takes place in a pleasant, stress-free atmosphere.
Paediatric neurosurgery
When to visit a specialist?
Dysfunctions of the central and peripheral nervous system in children in many cases do not give unambiguous symptoms. Parents often seek help from doctors of other specialties – paediatricians, orthopaedists, ophthalmologists, laryngologists and sometimes also psychologists. When they are not able to give a firm diagnosis or when the implemented treatment does not produce the expected results, a paediatric neurosurgeon very often provides help.
We invite parents who have noticed the following alarming symptoms in their children to consult a paediatric neurosurgeon at ENEL-SPORT centres in Łódź and Warsaw:
- pain and dizziness,
- fainting,
- motor coordination problems,
- numbness and tingling in the limbs,
- back pain,
- vision and hearing impairment,
- seizures,
- memory and concentration problems,
- disorientation.
Consultations with a paediatric neurosurgery specialist may also be recommended by a paediatrician or ophthalmologist.
What does the visit look like?
During a visit to a paediatric neurosurgery specialist, first of all a history is taken from the parents and, if possible, from the child. The doctor reads the medical records of a young patient, asks about pasts diseases or medications taken. Then, basic neurological examinations are performed:
- the presence of meningeal signs,
- superficial and deep sensibility,
- coordination of movements,
- evaluation of the functioning of cranial nerves.
In the vast majority of cases, diagnostic imaging examinations, such as CT scans or MRI scans, are needed to give a correct diagnosis. They are painless, safe for a young patient and non-invasive. It is also usually necessary to perform basic and/or specialist laboratory tests.
What diseases may the specialist diagnose?
Paediatric neurosurgery involves the diagnosis and treatment of the following conditions:
- neural tube defects,
- cephalohaematoma in infants,
- slipped disc,
- spinal cord tumours,
- hydrocephalus,
- subdural hygromas,
- brain and spinal cord vascular malformations,
- head injuries,
- brain tumours,
- myelomeningocele,
- premature closure of cranial sutures,
- drug-resistant epilepsy,
- spasticity.
