Definitions

CT Scan (Computerized Tomography)

A CT Scan is an X-ray procedure that combines many X-ray images with the aid of a computer to generate cross-sectional views and if needed, three-dimensional images of the internal organs and structures of the body.

Dura 

The dura is the thick outer covering of the brain and spinal cord.

Dural Scoring

Dural scoring is a surgical technique where a series of cuts are made into the dura, but the dura is not completely opened. 

Fontanelles

The word fontanel comes from the French fontaine for fountain. The medical term fontanel is a "soft spot" of the skull. The "soft spot" is soft precisely because the cartilage there has not yet hardened into bone between the skull bones. There are normally two fontanels, both in the midline of the skull, one (the anterior fontanel) well in front of the other (the posterior fontanel).  

Laminectomy 

Laminectomy is a surgical removal of part (the bony arch) of one or more vertebrae.

MRI Scan (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a scan used for a medical imaging procedure. An MRI uses a magnetic field and radio waves to take pictures of the body's interior. An MRI is used to investigate or diagnose conditions such as tumours, joint or spinal injuries or diseases, soft tissue injuries or diseases of internal organs such as the brain or heart.

Patient Controlled Analgesia
Patient Controlled Analgesia is a method of administering pain medication directly into a patient's circulatory system through a vein (usually in the arm or hand).

Posterior Fossa Decompression

The goal of posterior fossa decompression is to create more room around the malformation and restore the flow of spinal fluid.

Surgical Steps

• Craniectomy - A piece of the skull is removed
• Laminectomy - Part of one or more vertebrae are removed
• Duraplastry - The covering of the brain is opened and a patch is sewn in to make it bigger
• Tissue removal - cerebellar tonsils are sometimes cauterized (controversial)
• Plate insertion - Mesh is inserted where skull was removed

Shunt

Shunt is a surgically implanted tube used to divert, or drain, Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF)

Urinary tract infections (UTI)
UTI's are infections of the urethra, bladder, ureters, or the kidneys, which comprise the urinary tract.

Ventriculo-peritoneal shunt

Ventriculo-peritoneal shunt - neurosurgical procedure where a tube-like device is inserted into a ventricle to divert and drain CSF into the peritoneal space in the abdomen

This glossary is intended for informational purposes only. I strongly encourage anyone with medical questions to seek professional medical advice.

Information sourced from Medicine Net and Conquer Chiari