The highly experienced surgical team of the Neurosurgery and Plastic Reconstructive and Craniomaxillofacial Surgery departments at IASO Children's Hospital initially treated the development of hydrocephalus, which is the accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain, by placing an external shunt in the right lateral ventricle of the brain before proceeding to remove the baby's tumor.

The infant then underwent a suboccipital craniotomy and a laminectomy of the first cervical vertebra. This involved the removal of the lower rear section of the skull and the rear section of the first cervical vertebra. Access was achieved over the cerebellum and through the myelin sheath using surgical microscope to remove the tumor. In this way, the tumor was approached both from above and below the cerebellum due to its large dimensions, thus protecting the healthy part of the brain.

Under the guidance of Dr. Vasileios Zerris, MD, MPH, MSc, FAANS, a professor of Neurosurgery at the Texas A&M College of Medicine in the United States, and Board Certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, in cooperation with Steve Hwang, professor at Tufts University; Dr. Gerhard Friehs, MD, MA, FACGS, Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at the Medical University of Graz, Austria; Panagiotis Primikyris, neurosurgeon at IASO Children's Hospital; and the dedicated care of the medical and nursing staff of the ICU, under Chrysanthos Alexopoulos, the baby's post-operative progress is extremely satisfactory.

Dr. Zerris and the Neurosurgery Department at IASO Children's Hospital treat most neurosurgical conditions in infants and children, including hydrocephalus, brain tumors, vascular malformations, Moyamoya disease, head trauma, Chiari malformations, spasticity following cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis, as well as all types of conditions affecting the spine, including injuries, scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, syringomyelia, tumors, myelomeningocele, tethered spinal cord syndrome, lipoma of the medullary cone and others.

The Department of Plastic Reconstructive and Craniomaxillofacial Surgery at IASO Children's Hospital provides comprehensive treatment of craniomaxillofacial conditions. It specializes in monitoring and/or surgically treating all facial malformations and genetic deformities, as well as functional or aesthetic problems that may occur throughout childhood. These conditions include cases of cleft lip and/or palate, giant congenital melanocytic nevi, craniosynostosis, hypertelorism, blepharoptosis, craniofacial injuries or tumors, among others. In addition, the department also treats scheduled and emergency cases, such as skull or facial fractures.

From left: Kalliopi Papadimitriou, Operating Room Manager; (front) Nikoleta Athanasopoulou, nurse; Vasiliki Kolokytha, nurse; Rebecca Rosten, nurse; Steve Hwang, professor at Tufts; (rear) Gerhard Friehs, MD, MA, FACGS, Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at the Medical University of Graz, Austria; (front) Apostolos Apostolidis, nurse; (rear) Spyridon Karabekios, nursing assistant; (front) Savas Kaklis, anesthesiologist; Vasileios Zerris, MD, MPH, MSc, FAANS, head of Plastic Reconstructive and Craniomaxillofacial Surgery at IASO Children's Hospital; (rear) Vangelis Dimitriou, head of intraoperative neuromonitoring; Anastasia Tsadima, nurse; and Panagiotis Primikyris, neurosurgeon at IASO Children's Hospital.