Neurosurgery Clinic

The Neurosurgery Clinic is a specialty clinic that provides access to world-renown Neurosurgery experts who provide consultation and care to a full range of conditions in children involving the brain and spinal cord. These including the most complex brain and spinal tumours, epilepsy, hydrocephalus, craniosynostosis, neurovascular disease, movement disorders, spasticity, spinal dysraphism, and trauma. We aim to provide all our patients, from across Ontario and Canada, with the highest level of care available anywhere in the world. Our team consists of Neurosurgery clinic coordinators, a Registered Nurse, Neurosurgery Nurse Practitioners, a staff Neurosurgeon, Neurosurgery Residents or Fellows, and Medical Students. Other team members may also include are an Interpreter, a Surgical Same Date Admission (SDA) nurse, a Social Worker, a Research Coordinator or a Rehabilitation therapist if required.  

What to bring

• In addition to a radiology report, please bring a copy of outside medical imaging that may have been done on your child’s brain and/or spine.
• A list of current medications (both prescription and/or over the counter medications that your child is taking/using regularly).
• Any special care requirements that your child may require – for example formula, diapers, medications, equipment etc. 

Planning for your visit

• We recommend that you arrive 10-15 minutes before your appointment.
• Give yourself a sufficient amount of travel time, as there is plenty of construction in the downtown core and parking can be a challenge at times.
  

Directions

Please register at the main admitting/registration desk located on the main floor of the Atrium at SickKids. Be sure to update any information that may have changed, especially address information and phone numbers or a change in primary care doctor. Then take the main Atrium elevator up to the sixth floor, look for the 6C sign – the neurosurgery clinic is located on unit 6C. At the clinic's main desk, you will next need to check-in with the neurosurgery information coordinators. Be sure to check in so that the team knows that you have arrived. 

Once you have checked in with the information coordinators at the clinic registration desk, please wait in one of the designated waiting areas until your name/your child’s name is called. Once their name is called you will then be taken to a clinic assessment room. You and your child may meet several neurosurgery team members depending on the reason for your child’s visit to clinic.

The appointment will involve an assessment of your child’s current and past health concerns, a physical examination, discussion about findings on assessment and/or medical imaging and suggestions for treatment or further investigations. 

You will have a sufficient amount of time to ask questions and discuss your child’s treatment plan recommendations. 

In total, the appointment may take 15-60 minutes, depending on the wait times.  

If any follow-up appointments, referrals to other services or further investigations are needed, the clinic coordinators will work on organizing these for your child and they will be mailed to your home address. The MRI department contacts families directly with appointments.

Specialty clinics 

Combined Craniofacial clinic

A joint clinic with Neurosurgery and Craniofacial/Plastic surgery for patients with skull shape abnormalities such as craniosynostosis. This clinic usually runs once a month. 

Plagiocephaly clinic

A specialty clinic run by a Neurosurgery Nurse Practitioner. Plagiocephaly is a condition in which a baby’s skull is flattened on one side or both sides of the back of the baby’s head. 

Neurovascular clinic

A multidisciplinary specialized clinic that usually happens once a month for patients with neurovascular conditions of the brain and spine, for example: Arteriovenous Malformations, Aneurysm, Cavernomas, and Vein of Galen Malformations. Involved in the clinic are team members from the Neurovascular Program including Interventional Neuroradiology and Neurosurgery.

More information

For more information about clinic process, the clinic nurse may be reached at neurosurgeryclinic.nurses@sickkids.ca.

For additional information on specific conditions, please refer to the following pages on AboutKidsHealth:

• Spina bifida 
• Hydrocephalus and treatment: Shunts and endoscopic third ventriculostomy 
• Collar care: Taking care of your child in a cervical collar
• Brain tumours 
• Surgical treatment of epilepsy 

To refer a patient, please visit the Refer a Patient page.