title: Hemispherectomy--a radical solution.
abstract: 1. Hemispherectomy, a procedure where half of the brain is removed, is one of the most radical surgeries performed. One of the few medical conditions to warrant such a procedure is intractable seizures in infantile hemiplegia. 2. Children on whom hemispherectomies are performed present with one or more of the following symptoms: hemiplegia, persistent focal seizures, mental deterioration, and hemianopia. Mental deterioration is usually present to some degree but can be exacerbated by the persistent seizures. 3. Nursing implications include extensive preoperative teaching as to pathology, surgical procedure, and expected outcomes. Postoperative instruction involves training parents to assist their child with passive range of motion exercises or ambulation and the action and side effects of medications.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Tatum
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D006423:Hemianopsia / Q000601:surgery*; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D009871:Operating Room Nursing; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D012640:Seizures / Q000601:surgery*