Pediatric Neurosurgery

Proposal:
As pediatric neurosurgery is about treating neurological issues in a surgical manner, it would be beneficial to research how surgeons come up with the most effective treatment plan, the details of the plan, and the outcomes of the plan in regards to pediatric neurosurgery cases. Hydrocephalus, which is the build up of cerebral spinal fluid in the brain, is one of the most common cases that pediatric neurosurgeons encounter and there are a variety of treatment options including the implantation of a shunt and endoscopic third ventriculostomy. However, I am interested in how doctors choose which treatment option is best suitable for the patient. What factors do they consider and how do formulate a treatment plan? For my original work, I would like to evaluate different case studies dealing with hydrocephalus diagnosis and treatment and analyze the process in which pediatric neurosurgeons come to a specific conclusion. I will culminate the knowledge I have acquired through research into a single case study that synthesizes how a specific treatment plan is decided upon and the post-procedural effects of each plan.

Process:
I will be able to create this case study by conducting research on multiple patients who have been are diagnosed with or have been treated for hydrocephalus. Through my mentor, I hope to acquire information regarding past hydrocephalus diagnoses and procedural outcomes. I will analyze various scans, including but not limited to computed tomographies (CT) and magnetic resonance imagings (MRI), and link similarities between these scans and the treatment plan. Also, by researching information such as duration of stay and the occurrences of post procedural complications, I will be able to identify the most common effects of each procedure.

Purpose:
The purpose of this research is so that I may better understand the thought process behind treatment plans. By understanding what factors pediatric neurosurgeons consider and what indicators they look for before arriving at a conclusive treatment plan, I will be able to develop analytical skills and more adept reasoning abilities. I will better understand why a certain procedure is more favorable in one patient case and another procedure is more favorable in another patient case. Specifically to the case of hydrocephalus, through this research I will be able to link certain characteristics of a case to a particular surgical treatment plan. Furthermore, I will be able to analyze the drawbacks and benefits of various treatment plans. The goal at the end of this research is for me to able to logically and accurately pick a treatment plan for any patient that is presented to me as having hydrocephalus.

To view my final report, click here.