Neurological care

The pediatric neurosurgery team works with specialists from maternal-fetal care, craniofacial surgery, The Center for Epilepsy and pediatric oncology to ensure your child receives the most comprehensive treatment possible. The decision to perform surgery is made with the parents after an extensive discussion about the risks and benefits of the procedure.

Should your child need it, our Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) provides the highest level of NICU care in Dallas, and our dedicated children's emergency room (ER) has private rooms with space for you to stay with your child.

Surgical procedures we offer include:

A tethered spinal cord is a spinal cord that is attached abnormally to the tissues that surround it. It is usually caused by abnormalities in the development of the spinal cord in utero. The symptoms of a tethered spinal cord can be varied, but include:

• Back pain
• Leg pain
• Numbness or weakness in the legs
• Foot deformities
• Urinary problems
• Scoliosis

Tethered spinal cord surgery separates the spinal cord from its abnormal attachments and is often recommended before children have symptoms.

Arachnoid cysts are congenital brain cysts that form from the layers surrounding the brain early in pregnancy. In older children, most cysts don’t change in size, but they are more likely to enlarge in a child who is younger than four years old.

Although most arachnoid cysts don’t need treatment, some may require surgery to alleviate symptoms, such as headaches and seizures. Surgery options for arachnoid cysts include shunting and fenestration.

A Chiari malformation can cause fluid to build-up in the spinal cord and result in headaches, sleep apnea, difficulty swallowing and dizziness. If your child is a candidate for surgery, the surgeons at Medical City Children's Hospital are equipped to perform a procedure to take pressure off of the brainstem and allow the cerebrospinal fluid to flow freely.

Children can develop abnormalities in the way the head and neck are secured together. This can be the result of trauma or an underlying congenital cause, such as Down’s syndrome or Klippel-Feil syndrome. This can lead to instability that can damage the spinal cord.

Symptoms are varied, typically occurring in the neck and spinal cord. Sometimes children have no symptoms, but the abnormality is noticed on X-rays performed for some other reason. The treatment of these abnormalities can include anything from simple observation to a surgical fusion procedure.

At Medical City Children's Hospital, certified child life specialists help children and families adjust to the hospital setting through play, preparation, education and self-expression activities. Child life services helps children and their families prepare for hospitalization and surgery with the goal of keeping life as ordinary as possible.

Contact the child life coordinator at (972) 566-4606.

Contact the child life office at (972) 566-2879.