Our experienced team offers comprehensive medical management and innovative therapies such as deep brain stimulation, direct arterial bypass, indirect revascularization and other endovascular and minimally invasive surgery procedures.
Anti-clotting drugs, such as aspirin, can help prevent the formation of blood clots in children who are at risk for mini-strokes and strokes due to cerebrovascular disease.
Cincinnati Children’s offers a number of other endovascular procedures to treat cerebrovascular conditions. These include:
Direct arterial bypass is a complex surgical procedure used to treat an artery that has been damaged, blocked or narrowed due to Moyamoya disease. This revascularization procedure, also known as “superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) bypass,” involves connecting a blood vessel from the scalp directly to a blood vessel on the outer surface of the brain. The goal is to create a new pathway for the blood to flow.
Indirect revascularization is a type of surgery used to encourage new blood vessel growth to the brain for patients with Moyamoya disease. It involves laying and suturing an artery, muscle or other tissue on the surface of the brain. Over time, new blood vessels form, leading to improved blood flow to the brain. Indirect revascularization techniques include:
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is used to treat tremors and dystonia (movement disorders) that sometimes occur when a child has a cerebrovascular disease such as chronic stroke or arteriovenous malformation.
Performed by a neurosurgeon, this minimally invasive procedure involves placing a stimulation electrode on abnormal brain tissue in order to alter its function, control tremors and improve movement. DBS is reversible and adjustable, and does not destroy the area of brain tissue but stimulates it instead. Our neurosurgeons perform this procedure using intra-operative magnetic resonance imaging, which provides real-time guidance during surgery.
Only a small number of medical centers specialize in providing a comprehensive DBS program for children and adolescents. Our team collaborates with specialists at the Cincinnati Children’s Movement Disorders Clinic to ensure that children receive comprehensive care before and after the implant surgery.
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