Pediatric Neurosurgery
Pediatric neurosurgery treats brain, spine and nerve conditions in infants and children — including hydrocephalus, spina bifida, Chiari malformation, craniosynostosis, brain and spinal tumours, and drug-resistant epilepsy. At Florence Healthcare International, a dedicated paediatric team operates in a child- and family-centred setting, with care tailored to each child's age, development and long-term wellbeing.
Medically reviewed by the Florence Healthcare medical team · Last reviewed June 2026
Overview
Pediatric neurosurgery covers operations on the brain, spine and nerves in babies, children and teenagers. Our surgeons treat hydrocephalus (excess fluid on the brain) with a shunt or an endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV); congenital conditions such as spina bifida, Chiari malformation, tethered spinal cord and craniosynostosis (early fusion of the skull bones); paediatric brain and spinal tumours; epilepsy surgery for drug-resistant seizures; and head or spine trauma. Every plan is matched to the child's age and stage of development.
For selected fetal spina bifida cases, fetal surgery is a highly specialized option performed in only a very limited number of centers worldwide. Florence Nightingale is among the centers offering this advanced fetal neurosurgical capability, and suitability is assessed carefully by a multidisciplinary maternal-fetal and neurosurgical team.
Children are not small adults, so they are cared for by a dedicated paediatric team — paediatric neurosurgeons working alongside paediatric anaesthetists, a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU), paediatric neurology and rehabilitation. Care is family-centred, and your child's growth and neurological development are followed over the long term. For families travelling from abroad, a dedicated coordinator guides you throughout, your child's scans can be reviewed remotely before you travel, and you receive a transparent, itemized written estimate so there are no surprises.
Who is a candidate?
- Infants and children diagnosed with hydrocephalus or fluid build-up causing raised pressure on the brain
- Children with congenital conditions such as spina bifida, Chiari malformation, tethered spinal cord or craniosynostosis
- Children with a brain or spinal tumour that may benefit from surgery or a biopsy
- Children with epilepsy whose seizures are not controlled by medication and who may be candidates for surgery
- Children who have had a head or spine injury requiring surgical assessment or treatment
- Families seeking a second opinion or a clear, personalised treatment plan from a specialist paediatric team
What happens
- 1
Assessment & planning
Your child is seen by the paediatric neurosurgery team and examined in detail. Imaging such as MRI or CT is reviewed (often before you travel), the diagnosis and options are explained in plain language, and a plan is tailored to your child's age, development and specific condition.
- 2
The operation
Surgery is carried out under paediatric general anaesthesia by surgeons experienced in operating on children. The exact procedure depends on the diagnosis — for example placing a shunt or performing an ETV for hydrocephalus, removing or biopsying a tumour, releasing a tethered cord, or reshaping the skull in craniosynostosis.
- 3
Paediatric intensive care
After surgery your child is cared for in a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) or a dedicated paediatric ward, where breathing, neurological status and pain are closely monitored by staff trained in children's care. Parents are kept informed and supported throughout.
- 4
Recovery & follow-up
As your child improves, the team supports feeding, mobility and, where needed, paediatric rehabilitation. You receive clear discharge instructions and warning signs to watch for, and a long-term follow-up plan to monitor growth and neurological development — coordinated remotely once you return home.
Benefits
- Relieves raised pressure and symptoms caused by hydrocephalus or a mass, helping protect the developing brain
- Can treat, remove or biopsy brain and spinal tumours to guide further care
- May prevent or limit neurological decline and support healthy development
- Care is delivered by a dedicated paediatric team with paediatric anaesthesia and a PICU
- Family-centred approach with a coordinator, remote scan review and long-term developmental follow-up
Risks & considerations
- Bleeding, infection or leakage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) after surgery
- Shunt-related problems such as blockage, infection or malfunction, which can require a further operation (revision)
- Possible neurological effects — for example weakness, changes in vision, speech or balance, or seizures — depending on the area treated
- Risks related to general anaesthesia, which are minimised by an experienced paediatric anaesthesia team
- Some conditions may need staged or repeat surgery, or additional treatment, over time as the child grows
Conditions this treats
Where it is performed
This procedure is performed by our Neurological Sciences Center.
Learn more before you decide
Provider-reviewed guides on the related conditions, symptoms and tests in our Health Library.
Pediatric Neurosurgery — frequently asked questions
We treat a wide range of children's brain, spine and nerve conditions, including hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain), congenital conditions such as spina bifida, Chiari malformation, tethered spinal cord and craniosynostosis, paediatric brain and spinal tumours, drug-resistant epilepsy, and head or spine trauma. Treatment is always tailored to your child's age and development.
Hydrocephalus is a build-up of fluid that raises pressure inside the brain. It is often treated by placing a shunt — a thin tube that gently drains the extra fluid to another part of the body where it is safely absorbed. In selected children an endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) can create a new drainage pathway inside the brain instead of a shunt. The surgeon will explain which option is right for your child and why.
Your child is cared for throughout by a dedicated paediatric team — paediatric neurosurgeons, paediatric anaesthetists, a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU), and paediatric neurology and rehabilitation. Our approach is family-centred: you are kept informed at every step, parents are supported around surgery and recovery, and your child's growth and neurological development are followed over the long term.
Length of stay depends on the specific procedure and your child's recovery, and is often several days. We do not quote a fixed price in advance because every child's plan is different. After reviewing your child's case, we provide a transparent, itemized written estimate covering the surgery, hospital stay and related care, so you can plan with confidence and without hidden costs.
Yes. You can securely share your child's existing MRI, CT or other imaging and reports, and our paediatric neurosurgery team will review them remotely before you travel. This lets us confirm the diagnosis, discuss likely options and give you a tailored plan and itemized estimate in advance, so your visit is as efficient and reassuring as possible.
Related treatments
Considering pediatric neurosurgery?
Share your reports for a medical second opinion and a transparent, itemized cost estimate — usually within 48 hours.