Cite

Copy

Tap on and choose 'Add to Home Screen' to create a shortcut app

Tap on and choose 'Install/Install App' to create a shortcut app

Recovery for Myelomeningoceles in Children

This page was last updated on January 25th, 2023

Postoperative Orders 

  • Observe for signs of hydrocephalus: Initial postnatal and postoperative management is in the neonatal intensive care unit to watch for signs of hydrocephalus or brainstem dysfuntion including central apnea, obstructive apnea, bradycardia, and dysphagia. Head circumference and fontanelle size should be monitored daily.
  • Protect surgical site: At the authors’ institution, the infant is nursed and kept prone or in lateral decubitus position as much as possible in the immediate postoperative period, initially lying supine intermittently for care only. After 48–72 hours, activity may be liberalized.
  • Bladder care: The baby’s spontaneous voiding should be noted during the immediate postnatal period. Clean, intermittent, straight catheterization is performed on newborns every 4 hours for the first day or two after the catheter is removed. Wet diaper and spontaneous voiding occurrences are recorded as well.
  • Urological assessment: Prior to discharge, the urologist should review the results of the ultrasound and voiding cystourethrogram and give recommendations/instructions for clean intermittent catheterization.
  • Discharge criteria: Discharge home occurs when the child shows adequate feeding and weight gain, appropriate wound healing, and no need for shunting. Appropriate instructions for home care regarding wound care, straight catheterization technique, etc., are provided to the caretaker.

Postoperative Morbidity

  • No unique morbidities

Your donations keep us going

The ISPN Guide is free to use, but we rely on donations to fund our ongoing work and to maintain more than a thousand pages of information created to disseminate the most up-to-date knowledge in the field of paediatric neurosurgery.

By making a donation to The ISPN Guide you are also indirectly helping the many thousands of children around the world whose treatment depends on well-informed surgeons.

Please consider making a donation today.

Use the app

The ISPN Guide can be used as a standalone app, both on mobile devices and desktop computers. It’s quick and easy to use.

Fully featured

Free registration grants you full access to The Guide and host of featured designed to help further your own education.

Stay updated

The ISPN Guide continues to expand both in breadth and depth. Join our mailing list to stay up-to-date with our progress.