The Pediatric Neurosurgery Unit of the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli is provided by a ward of 14 dedicated beds. Surgical activity covers all aspects of pediatric neurosurgery with major interest for brain tumors, craniosynostoses and craniofacial malformations, hydrocephalus and epilepsy surgery.
For the postoperative management of brain tumors a dedicated pediatric oncology Group take care of oncologic treatments, including molecular therapies and conformed radiotherapy. Clinics are performed on a three times per week basis ; a dedicated operating room is opened for pediatric neurosurgical cases, 12 hours three times a week, with an annexed Emergency surgery room, for non elective cases. The Institution is also provided with a Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a Pediatric Emergency Department, and a series of structures cooperating with the Pediatric Neurosurgery, including a Pediatric Neurology Department, a Maxillo-Facial Surgery Unit, a Pediatric Surgery staff, as well as a prenatal diagnosis department with a dedicated staff to the prenatal management and prenatal surgical treatment of open spina bifida defects.
Every year around 600 new cases are evaluated during the clinics and 500 cases are operated on at the Pediatric Neurosurgery Service of the Catholic University in Rome. The operating room is provided with last generation microscopes, endoscopes, open and endoscopic surgery ultrasonic aspirators, laser for open and endoscopic surgery, high definition ultrasound intraoperative neuronavigation guidance.
The staff of the Pediatric Neurosurgery Service is composed by two Associate Professors (prof. Massimo Caldarelli and prof. Gianpiero Tamburrini), one Assistant Prof. (dr. Luca Massimi) and one clinical Consultant (dr. Paolo Frassanito); three residents on a six months based rotation, complete the medical staff. One neuropsychologist cooperate strictly with the medical staff (Dr.ssa D. Chieffo) . The nursing personnel is represented by a Sister, (Dr.ssa Paola Leonardi) and 13 nurses. The activities of the Pediatric Neurosurgery Service are actively sustained by the parents association, connected to the Department (Federazione Gene)
and by the Oncology Department parents associations (AGOP and "Le Coccinelle"), with the stable presence of a Social Assistant (Dr.ssa Daniela De Bianchi).