ACIBADEM Pediatric Neurosurgery Center

Cerebral palsy or CP, a neurological disorder that affects bodily movement and muscle coordination, is caused by brain damage that occurs before or during a baby’s birth, or during the first few years of babies’ lives. The most common reason for cerebral palsy is oxygen deprivation of the baby during birth, which might result in neurological deficits.

Cerebral palsy generally damages the areas of the brain controlling physical movements, and it can also lead to other health problems such as vision, hearing and speech impairment as well as learning disabilities.

Spasticity is mostly causes by CP. Spastic children’s muscles tend to be stiff and permanently contracted. They therefore walk uncontrollably and with difficulty.

Cerebral palsy cannot be cured entirely. However, a proper treatment could decrease the effects of CP and thus enhance the patients’ life quality.

• Physiotherapy: It is applied to reduce contractions in the body and increase mobility before and/or after surgery.
• Surgery: ACIBADEM performs different types of surgeries to treat cerebral palsy: selective dorsal rhizotomy, botulinum toxin injections, selective neurotomy, deep brain stimulation and intrathecal baclofen pump. It depends on the etiology, clinical conditions and age of the patient. After the operation pain and spasticity levels reduce  and hand flexibility, walking patterns and functional mobility improve. The surgery also makes it possible for patients to perform the self-care activities.

ACIBADEM Pediatric Neurosurgery Department has performed over 1500 operations within this scope.

Brain tumors consist roughly 20% of all childhood tumors. Tumors can be classified as benign and malignant. Benign tumors are non-cancerous, they grow relatively slow, and do not spread to other parts in the brain and body. In contrast, Malignant tumors are cancerous, they grow rapidly, and they tend to spread to other parts of the brain and body. Childhood brain tumors generally stem from the brain’s own tissues.

Unfortunately, childhood brain tumors tend to be malignant. Medulloblastomas are the most common brain tumors in childhood. This tumor is malignant and occurs in posterior fossa, the area where the cerebellum and brainstem are located at the back of the head. It may affect muscle coordination, and bodily movement of the child.

As Prof. Özek states, “Treatment of childhood brain tumors demands high-level pediatric neurosurgery training and experience. They are unique. It is interesting that adults do not get certain tumors and certain adult tumors are not observed in children. A child’s brain is a developing organ. In adults we know, for example, the brain area which is responsıble for moving legs and articulating speech but they may be located elsewhere in children. In ACIBADEM, we provide this special treatment to childhood brain tumors with our experienced pediatric neurosurgery team and advanced medical technologies.”

On the other hand, malignant (cancerous) brain tumors are more likely to interfere with normal brain tissues and function. Therefore, they more often cause symptoms and complications. Besides surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy have a key role in malignant tumors’ treatments.

“We have a great radiotherapy and pediatric oncology staff. We discuss the specıfıc condıtıons of each patıent wıth tumor so as to come up with a suitable treatment plan.” Prof. Memet Özek says.