Pittsburgh, October 1, 2001 -- The pediatric neurosurgery department at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh is one of the top three centers for pediatric neurosurgery in the country providing care for children with tumors, spinal deformities, cranial malformations and disorders such as spasticity and epilepsy.

This center, led by Ian Pollack, MD, and assisted by Drs. A. Leland Albright, P. David Adelson and Elizabeth Tyler-Kabara, has gained international recognition for their treatment of pediatric brain tumors, cerebral palsy and traumatic brain injury.

"We provide a very high level of care," Albright says in explaining the center's highly regarded status." We keep careful accounts of our outcomes. This published data is a benchmark against which other people can compare their results. For example, our success rate with shunts is better than has ever been reported by anybody."

Albright points out the department publishes "more manuscripts, books and book chapters than any other pediatric neurosurgery department in the world."

More importantly, though, Albright attributes much of the center's success to its people. "Ian is probably the one pediatric neurosurgeon who knows the most about brain tumors," he says, "and David is probably the leader in pediatric head injury in both research and in practice. We do state-of-the-art research and work here."

Dr. Pollack's primary research focuses on identifying and evaluating innovative strategies for treating malignant brain tumors, improving the treatment of children with brain tumors, and optimizing the management of childhood craniofacial disorders. Dr. Adelson maintains an active clinical and laboratory research program that focuses on the comprehensive aspects of traumatic brain injury, plasticity and recovery in children.

The Children's Hospital staff also plays a large role in the success enjoyed at the center, according to Dr. Albright. "The advantage of being at Children's is not so much the reputation of the name, but the quality of the staff here. The personal quality care of the anesthesiologist, the nurse and everyone else involved is exceptional. The group of people we collaborate with is probably the best in the country."

This level of care has obviously not gone unnoticed. Dr. Albright states that the department sees "kids week-in and week-out from all over the country."

Albright is proud of the work done at the center. "We've tried very hard to contribute to the development of various pediatric neurosurgery elements," he says. "We're much better than we were five years ago and we're striving very hard to be better five years from now."

Not long ago someone asked Dr. Albright what he was most pleased of, or proud of, in the last 10 or 20 years of work. Pointing to a bulletin board in his office containing numerous photos of former patients, he said, "It's not one thing, but instead, it's the privilege associated with participating in the care of all those kids. At the very minimum, it's the ability to give someone hope. It's purely a gift to be able to do that."