Neurotrauma Treatment Options from a Pediatric Neurosurgeon

Need to learn more about neurotrauma and its treatment options? Neurotrauma is a term used to describe an injury to one’s nerves, brain, or spine. Since neurotrauma requires emergency treatment, understanding the treatment options available from a neurosurgeon is important.

About neurotrauma

Examples of neurotrauma include concussions, skull fractures, spinal cord injuries, and traumatic brain injuries. The fact that neurotrauma can have long-lasting effects, like cognitive impairment and nerve damage, makes treatment by an experienced neurosurgeon necessary. Once a child undergoes treatment, follow-up care is needed to ensure they are healing properly.

According to the Brain Trauma Foundation, concussions account for 90% of traumatic brain injuries.

Neurotrauma treatment

Pediatric neurosurgeons provide their pediatric patients with the neurotrauma treatment they need after fully evaluating their case of neurotrauma. Since neurosurgeons often treat children who are suffering from a severe traumatic brain injury, the list below includes two of the surgical treatment options provided by a pediatric neurosurgeon to treat severe traumatic brain injuries in their patients.

Craniectomy

A craniectomy is a surgical procedure that requires a neurosurgeon to remove a part of the patient's skull. This surgical procedure is necessary to give the brain more room to swell, as swelling is common in brain injuries. Swelling within the brain can damage parts of the brain, as well as be potentially life-threatening to the patient. After this surgical procedure is performed, the swelling should slowly decrease within a couple of weeks to a couple of months. After the swelling has gone down, the part of the patient’s skull that was removed will now be replaced.

Cranioplasty

A cranioplasty is a procedure that involves the surgical repair of the skull, which often occurs during neurotrauma that affects the brain. There are different types of surgical methods to perform this procedure, which means the neurosurgeon will decide which method is ideal for each individual pediatric patient. Generally speaking, a cranioplasty procedure requires a neurosurgeon to lift up the patient's scalp and then restore any damage caused by the neurotrauma. This surgical procedure not only repairs the skull, but it can also improve the patient's overall neurological functioning.

Additional surgical procedures for treating neurotrauma patients

Because there are so many different types of neurotraumas that can happen to a child, the type of treatment they will receive depends on many factors. Two of these factors include the type of injury the child incurred and how serious the injury is. Since serious neurotrauma injuries tend to require surgery, there are many surgical procedures in place to address neurotrauma in patients. Examples of other surgical procedures include external ventricular drain placement, complex craniofacial repair, and halo stabilization.

The bottom line

Do you have any questions about neurotrauma treatment? Anytime a child experiences a traumatic injury, quick treatment is necessary in order to efficiently address their neurotrauma. Since there are a few different neurotrauma treatment options available, the treatment option used will depend on the child's particular situation.

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

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