Neurointerventions for children

Endovascular treatment as offered at the Department of Neuroradiology is important for understanding and diagnosing such vascular diseases. The procedure is minimally invasive and takes place without open surgery. We will access and treat the vascular malformation through a small incision in the skin and via the blood vessels.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Endovascular treatments are minimally invasive. There is no need for open surgery, which would entail greater risks and a longer recovery time.
• Despite all precautions, complications can occur during the treatment. These can be cerebral hemorrhage during or after embolization or cerebral infarction due to occlusion of the normal cerebral vessels.

Course of treatment

Treatment starts with the diagnosis and the decision to use minimally invasive methods. After discussing this with you during a consultation, we will schedule a timely appointment, which is in keeping with the urgency of your case and your special wishes.

The treatment requires a hospital stay of four to seven days. Your child will arrive the morning before the procedure and we will assess their status and make the final preparations. We will use this opportunity to answer any questions you might have. On the day of the procedure, your child will be transferred to the USZ and taken to one of our two operating rooms, where the surgical team will meet them and perform the procedure.

Aftercare

Immediately after the procedure, your child will be transferred back to the Children’s Hospital, to a specialized monitoring ward/intensive care unit, where they will be cared for until the next day. In the next few days, they will undergo a magnetic resonance examination to assess the surgical outcome and rule out any complications. After another one or two days, and a consultation with a specialist, your child can go home. During this last consultation, we will schedule appointments for further check-ups.