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 From Surgery for Tethered Cord Syndrome With a Normally Positioned Conus in Children

This page was last updated on January 25th, 2023

Postoperative Orders 

  • HOB, positioning, activity, bathing: The patient is kept flat on bed rest for 3 days to allow for dural healing and to put as little CSF pressure on the dura as possible during this time. The authors prefer to limit bathing to a sponge bath until the patient is seen in clinic 1 week later.
  • Foley catheter removed on postoperative day one. If the child fails to void, in-and-out catheterization is performed every 4 hours until post-void residual returns to normal limits for age.
  • Bandage left over wound: The authors prefer to leave the dressing in place until the patient returns for the postoperative clinic visit 1 week later. The dressing should be observed for CSF leakage. In an infant a mud flap just below the wound is desired to prevent stool and urine from contaminating the wound.
  • Acetaminophen or ibuprofen: A regimen of alternating doses of ibuprofen and acetaminophen, both at 10 mg/kg every 4–6 hours as needed, is effective in managing postoperative pain.
  • Laboratory studies: None
  • Radiology studies: None
  • Physical therapy and orthotics: None
  • Consultations: None

Postoperative Morbidity

  • Lower pressure headache: The patient is kept flat, and the head is slowly elevated over several days.
  • Incisional pain: Postoperative incisional pain is treated with oral analgesics such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen while the patient is in the hospital. After discharge, these medications may be continued as needed for a few additional days.

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.