title: Re-operation for recurrent brain tumors in children.
abstract: In order to determine the efficacy of re-operating on recurrent brain tumors, we did a retrospective analysis of 39 children who underwent such surgery between 1975 and the present. A total of 52 procedures was performed for recurrence of both benign and malignant tumors. 9 patients are neurologically normal and 12 are independent but left with some sort of neurologic deficit for an average of 31 months and 32 months, respectively, postoperatively. 1 child presented severely handicapped and remains so 18 months after his most recent surgery. 17 patients died. 11 improved after re-operation and lived an average of 12 months. 4 were unimproved with an average survival of 10 months. There were 2 surgical deaths for an operative mortality of 4%. We feel that re-operation is a useful therapy for both benign and malignant recurrent brain tumors, and prolongs both the quantity and quality of life in appropriately selected patients.
mesh_terms: D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000601:surgery; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003397:Craniopharyngioma / Q000601:surgery; D004806:Ependymoma / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000601:surgery; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012086:Reoperation