Pediatric Neurosurgery: What a Pediatric Neurosurgeon Does

Pediatric neurosurgery is the branch of surgery that treats problems of the brain, spine and nerves in children, from newborn babies to teenagers. A pediatric neurosurgeon is a fully trained neurosurgeon who has gone on to specialize in operating on children.

This guide explains what the specialty covers and how these surgeons train. It also answers the questions people often ask alongside it: whether pediatricians do surgery, what pediatric neurologists do, and what pediatric orthopedics is. It is general information, not medical advice. Decisions about any child's care belong with the doctors treating them.

What does a pediatric neurosurgeon treat?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says pediatric neurosurgeons diagnose, treat and manage children's nervous system problems and head and spinal deformities, from the newborn period through the teenage years. Hospital programs such as Cleveland Clinic's list the conditions most often involved:

• Hydrocephalus, a build-up of fluid in the brain.
• Spina bifida and other conditions of the spine that are present at birth.
• Brain and spinal cord tumors.
• Chiari malformation, where part of the brain sits lower than usual at the base of the skull.
• Craniosynostosis and other differences in the shape of the skull.
• Injuries to the head, spine or nerves.
• Spasticity (very stiff muscles) that affects walking.
• Abnormal blood vessels in the brain, such as arteriovenous malformations.

How a pediatric neurosurgeon is trained

It is one of the longest training paths in medicine. According to the AAP, a pediatric neurosurgeon in the United States has completed at least four years of medical school, a year of surgical internship, five or more years of residency in neurological surgery, and then additional training in pediatric neurosurgery. They are certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery and the American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery.

The extra training matters because children are not small adults. A baby's skull is still growing, many childhood conditions are rare in adults, and a child may need follow-up for years as they grow. The AAP notes that these surgeons work in children's hospitals, university medical centers and large community hospitals, which are set up for children.

What do pediatric neurologists do?

A pediatric neurologist, also called a child neurologist, treats the same part of the body, the brain and nervous system, but with medicines and other non-surgical care. They do not operate.

The AAP lists the conditions child neurologists manage, including seizures and epilepsy, headaches and migraines, concussion, muscle diseases such as muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy and developmental delays, tics and Tourette syndrome, and infections or inflammation of the brain. Their training is four years of medical school, one to two years of general pediatrics, and three years of residency in child neurology.

The two specialties work together. A child with epilepsy is normally cared for by a neurologist; if medicines do not control the seizures and surgery might help, the neurologist brings in a neurosurgeon. Put simply, the neurologist diagnoses and treats with medicine, and the neurosurgeon operates when an operation is needed.

Do pediatricians do surgery?

No. A pediatrician is a child's primary care doctor. They handle check-ups, vaccinations, common illnesses and long-term conditions, and they do not perform operations. When a child needs surgery, the pediatrician refers them to a surgical specialist and usually stays involved in their overall care.

The doctor who does general operations on children is a pediatric surgeon. The AAP describes their training as four years of medical school, five years of general surgery and two more years of fellowship in pediatric surgery. Pediatric surgeons repair birth defects of the chest and abdomen, fix hernias, remove an inflamed appendix, operate on childhood tumors and treat injuries.

Children's surgery: who does what

Children's surgery is divided by the part of the body. The AAP's referral guidance names these pediatric surgical specialists:

• Pediatric surgeon: general operations on the chest, abdomen and soft tissues.
• Pediatric neurosurgeon: brain, spine and nerves.
• Pediatric orthopedic surgeon: bones, joints and muscles.
• Congenital heart surgeon: heart conditions present at birth.
• Pediatric plastic surgeon: for example, repair of a cleft lip and palate.
• Pediatric otolaryngologist: ear, nose and throat.
• Pediatric urologist: kidneys, bladder and genitals.
• Pediatric ophthalmologist: eyes.

What is pediatric orthopedics?

Pediatric orthopedics is the specialty that treats children's bones, joints and muscles. The AAP says pediatric orthopedic surgeons care for limb and spine deformities such as clubfoot and scoliosis, limping and other walking problems, bone and joint infections, and broken bones.

It overlaps with neurosurgery at the spine. A curved spine is usually an orthopedic matter, while a problem with the spinal cord inside it belongs to the neurosurgeon, and the two teams often plan treatment together.

After a major operation, a child may spend time in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) before moving to a regular ward.

Specialist surgery for children in Gaza

Specialties like these depend on things that are easy to take for granted: scanners, operating rooms, anesthesia, intensive care and surgeons with a decade or more of training. Where a health system is damaged, they are among the first services to become unavailable.

In Gaza, the World Health Organization said on 24 September 2026 that only 19 of 36 hospitals were functioning even partially, and none fully. WHO's situation update for January 2026 said more than 18,500 patients needed treatment that is not available in Gaza because of the lack of specialized services, and were waiting for medical evacuation. UNICEF's report on the first half of 2026 put the number of children among them at about 4,000.

Our guides to Gaza's hospitals and medical evacuations from Gaza explain what is and is not available. Fight for Palestine does not perform surgery or run hospitals. We raise funds for emergency aid delivered through local partner teams, including medical aid, which you can read about on our medical aid campaign page.