Archive for moyamoya
Optimal care, lower costs: Examining the benefits of out-of-network care for pediatric moyamoya
Moyamoya disease is a rare condition that affects the blood vessels in the brain, especially in children. Narrowing and blockage of vessels significantly increases the risk of stroke and requires surgical revascularization for treatment. Although research shows that outcomes of revascularization are better at high-volume centers, insurers often hesitate to approve out-of-network care. However, a ... Read More about Optimal care, lower costs: Examining the benefits of out-of-network care for pediatric moyamoya
A model patient: Alexia’s triumph over moyamoya disease
If you’re lucky enough to get time on Alexia’s packed schedule, you’re in the company of a motivated and ambitious young woman who — in the face of a scary diagnosis — shows others they can do anything they put their mind to. From subtle symptoms to diagnosis Alexia’s fight against moyamoya disease, a rare ... Read More about A model patient: Alexia’s triumph over moyamoya disease
From our labs and clinics: 10 research advances in 2021
Pediatric medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital rests on a strong base of discovery science. But it can take decades for bench discoveries to be validated and replicated in humans and for treatments to be proven safe. When lab discoveries advance on the road to clinical application, it’s cause to celebrate. Here are 10 research success ... Read More about From our labs and clinics: 10 research advances in 2021
New technique designed specifically for children gives surgeons another moyamoya treatment option
Moyamoya is rare blood vessel condition that is a major cause of pediatric stroke. Surgical revascularization can be very effective; however, anterior cerebral territory ischemia can occur after treatment, particularly in children with delayed disease progression. The current surgical treatments for anterior cerebral territory ischemia in pediatric patients are challenging: Complex, high-risk procedures haven’t been ... Read More about New technique designed specifically for children gives surgeons another moyamoya treatment option
Another shot for Conner: Getting back in the game after brain surgery
Watch Conner Hicks coach basketball at Midlakes Middle School in Clifton Springs, New York, and you’ll see a young man with a passion for the game. Talk to the players on his team and you’ll hear about a dedicated and enthusiastic role model. What you probably won’t notice is the 19-year-old’s fight with a brain ... Read More about Another shot for Conner: Getting back in the game after brain surgery
Groundbreaking research identifies noninvasive biomarker for moyamoya in children
Moyamoya is a rare blood vessel condition that has an outsized impact on children, as it is responsible for about 6 percent of pediatric strokes in the United States. Surgical revascularization is the only treatment and is very effective. However, clinicians face challenges in identifying new or worsening disease before a disabling stroke occurs, predicting ... Read More about Groundbreaking research identifies noninvasive biomarker for moyamoya in children
When surgery shapes your life: Moyamoya patient turned doctor
Elizabeth Kwak is living proof of how far the treatment of moyamoya has come. Twenty-four years ago, Elizabeth had pial synangiosis, a surgical treatment for moyamoya that was pioneered by Boston Children’s Hospital neurosurgeon Dr. R. Michael Scott in 1985. Today, Elizabeth is a fourth-year medical student at Drexel University College of Medicine. She talks ... Read More about When surgery shapes your life: Moyamoya patient turned doctor
Advice for moyamoya families from a mom who’s been there
About a year ago, our 4-year-old daughter, Kalea, started having headaches. After four months, we called our pediatrician because the headaches were far from normal for Kalea and had progressed enough to become worrisome. The pediatrician advised us to track her headaches, and we learned that they fluctuated in frequency but were increasing in intensity. ... Read More about Advice for moyamoya families from a mom who’s been there
Neurosurgeon’s pioneering technique helps thousands of children
Michael Scott, MD, was a 29-year-old neurosurgery resident at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston when he saw a patient with a condition he hadn’t learned about in medical school: a narrowing of the blood vessels entering the brain. It was 1970, and though Japanese doctors had described the condition a few years earlier, it would ... Read More about Neurosurgeon’s pioneering technique helps thousands of children