Pediatric Neurosurgery

Pediatric Neurosurgery at Golisano Children's Hospital

Our pediatric neurosurgery program at Golisano Children's Hospital at University of Vermont Health combines board-certified doctors with the resources of an academic medical center for excellent outcomes.

Parents throughout Vermont and northern New York choose us for leading-edge neurosurgical care without leaving the region.

Why Choose Golisano Children's Hospital?

We offer:

Expertise: Our fellowship-trained pediatric neurosurgeon has extensive experience treating a wide range of neurological conditions. You can feel confident that your child is in skilled hands.
Team approach to care: Conditions requiring neurosurgery are often complex, so we bring together a team of specialists for comprehensive care. Our pediatric neurosurgeon works closely with pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists, including pediatric neurologists, pediatric craniofacial surgeons, neuroradiologists and neuro-oncologists.
Support services: From our Concussion Clinic to our social work team, we support your family so you can focus on your child’s healing. Child Life specialists help reduce children's anxiety before medical procedures with age-appropriate education and play.
Academic focus: Our physician-leaders are active researchers, many of whom are training the next generation of experts. As a patient, you benefit from clinicians who have access to the latest advancements in pediatric neurosurgery.

The doctor was fantastic with my daughter truly making her understand in age-appropriate terms what was happening with her body and normalizing the experience as best he could. 10/10 recommend the care we received to anyone going through this.

Golisano Children's Hospital Parent

Conditions We Treat

Neurological conditions in children we treat with surgery include:

Arachnoid cysts, fluid-filled sacs on the brain or spinal cord
Brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerve tumors and trauma
Disorders of the brain’s blood flow, including arteriovenous malformations (AVM), aneurysms, cavernous malformations and Moya-Moya disease
Chiari malformation, when the lower part of the brain presses through the skull base
Congenital irregularities of the brain and spinal cord
Disorders of the skull and facial bones, including simple and complex craniosynostosis, Apert syndrome and Crouzon syndrome
Epilepsy
Hydrocephalus, when fluid accumulates in the brain
Spina bifida
Tethered spinal cord, when the spinal cord is abnormally attached to tissues in the spinal canal
Syringomyelia, when a fluid-filled cyst forms in the spinal cord

What to Expect

Our priority is getting to know your child and your family. We want to know all about your child's interests and activities and what you value as a family. Bring all of your questions, and we'll talk through them together.

Our team of specialists will evaluate your child to determine if neurosurgery could be part of their treatment plan. If so, we will fully explain your options so you can make the decision that's right for your child. We stay in close communication with your child's primary care physician throughout the course of care.

We use minimally invasive techniques whenever possible and offer expertise in the latest neurosurgical innovations, including:

Concussion Clinic

The Concussion Clinic at University of Vermont Medical Center offers free phone consultations for individuals, up to age 22. A registered nurse reviews concussion symptoms, provides referrals and can advise you on safely returning to school and sports.

Endoscopic Surgery

Instead of an incision, our neurosurgeon uses an endoscope (a thin tube with a camera and specialized tools) to reach your child's brain through a natural opening, like the nose.

Endovascular Surgery

Our neurointerventional radiologist makes a tiny cut in a blood vessel to insert a catheter (hollow tube with specialized camera and tools). The doctor advances the catheter through the vessel to reach and repair the damaged area.

Image-Assisted Surgery

Specialized imaging equipment provides real-time, 3D pictures of your child's brain or spine before and during surgery.

Neuroendoscopy

Our neurosurgeon creates a tiny hole in the skull through which they insert an endoscope to perform brain surgery.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery

In this type of radiation therapy, your child's doctor directs high-powered X-rays to the target area. Even though the procedure has "surgery" in its name, there are no incisions.