Is Children’s Brain Surgery Safe?

Wondering about the safety of children's brain surgery? When a parent learns their child is in need of brain surgery, safety is on their mind. Since there are different reasons for performing pediatric brain surgery, understanding the reason is a good place to start.

About performing brain surgery on children

Realizing the reason for performing children's brain surgery allows parents to understand what will happen during the surgical procedure. Some of the more common reasons why children need to undergo brain surgery include that they were diagnosed with a brain tumor, they are experiencing some type of brain blockage, or that they need to have a catheter inserted into their brain for treatment reasons. As pediatric neurosurgeons perform this type of surgery, their focus is on ensuring the surgical process is one that is as safe as possible.

The safety of performing pediatric brain surgery

When it has been determined that it is necessary for a pediatric neurosurgeon to perform a surgical process on a child, they will do whatever is necessary to ensure that the surgery is performed in a safe manner. Children who have been diagnosed with a brain tumor often need to undergo surgery, as this is the most common treatment option. While the goal is to remove all of the tumor tissue, the neurosurgeon will only remove as much of the tumor as they can safely do so.

When it is not possible to remove all of a tumor, the child will often need to undergo additional treatments in order to address their brain tumor. These additional treatments often include radiation therapy, which can only be used to treat children who have reached a certain age as radiation therapy can potentially affect a child's developing brain. Thus, factors that are taken into consideration when performing brain surgery on children include the age of the child, their general health, the location of the tumor in the brain, and the risks associated with the surgery itself.

Potential risks associated with brain surgery on children

While there are risks associated with undergoing brain surgery, many children who undergo this type of surgical procedure do not experience any complications. Even so, it is important for parents to understand all of the possible risks associated with this type of surgery. Some of the more common associated risks include swelling, bleeding, infections, seizures, and a reaction to the anesthesia used to put the child under. Swelling is often controlled by giving the child medications a few days before the surgery.

The bottom line

Pediatric neurosurgeons safely perform children's brain surgery. They are medical professionals who have many years of training and education that allows them to perform surgery on children's brains. They thoroughly understand how to perform different types of brain surgeries and because they care for their patients, they perform every surgical procedure with great care in order to ensure the surgical process is performed as safely as possible.

Get more information here: https://www.drloudonpediatricneurosurgery.com or call Dr. William G. Loudon, Pediatric Neurosurgery at (714) 677-9463

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