Consent forms
Information to read before your consultation. The form is gone through and signed together at the consultation.
These forms are provided so that you can read them in advance, at your own pace. Please do not sign them at home. Dr Labuschagne will go through the relevant form with you (or with you and your child) at the consultation, answer your questions, and sign it with you. Each form gives general information; the risks and options that apply to you or your child will be discussed individually.
Not every operation has a form here. If yours is not listed, it will be discussed at the consultation.
Paediatric & hydrocephalus
- Download PDF
Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt insertion
Placing a shunt to drain excess fluid (CSF) from the brain to the abdomen in hydrocephalus.
- Download PDF
Shunt revision
Checking, repairing or replacing a shunt that is blocked, infected or not working well.
- Download PDF
Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV)
A keyhole operation that makes a new pathway for CSF, as an alternative to a shunt in suitable patients.
- Download PDF
External ventricular drain (EVD)
A temporary drain for CSF, usually placed in an urgent or emergency setting.
- Download PDF
Intracranial pressure monitor
A small sensor to measure the pressure inside the head.
- Download PDF
Arachnoid cyst fenestration
Opening an arachnoid cyst, usually endoscopically, so that the fluid can drain.
- Download PDF
Craniosynostosis surgery (FEASR)
Minimally invasive endoscopic surgery for craniosynostosis, which may be followed by helmet therapy.
- Download PDF
Helmet therapy for positional plagiocephaly
Moulding helmet treatment for a flat head shape in babies (no operation).
- Download PDF
Myelomeningocele (spina bifida) closure
Closing the open spinal defect in a newborn baby with spina bifida.
- Download PDF
Tethered cord release
Freeing a spinal cord that is abnormally attached at the lower end of the spine.
- Download PDF
Chiari decompression
Making more space at the back of the skull and upper neck for a Chiari malformation.
- Download PDF
Posterior fossa tumour surgery in a child
Operation to remove a tumour at the back of the brain in a child.
Cranial
- Download PDF
Craniotomy for brain tumour
Opening the skull to remove or reduce a brain tumour, such as a glioma.
- Download PDF
Awake craniotomy
Brain tumour surgery with the patient awake for part of the operation, to protect speech and movement.
- Download PDF
Craniotomy for meningioma
Operation to remove a meningioma, a tumour arising from the coverings of the brain.
- Download PDF
Craniotomy for brain metastasis
Operation to remove a tumour that has spread to the brain from elsewhere.
- Download PDF
Endoscopic pituitary surgery
Removing a pituitary tumour through the nose with an endoscope.
- Download PDF
Stereotactic brain biopsy
Taking a small sample of brain tissue through a small opening, guided by imaging.
- Download PDF
Gamma Knife radiosurgery
Focused radiation treatment, without an incision, for selected brain conditions.
- Download PDF
Craniotomy for aneurysm clipping
Operation to secure a brain aneurysm with a small clip.
- Download PDF
Craniotomy for arteriovenous malformation (AVM)
Operation to remove an abnormal tangle of blood vessels in the brain.
- Download PDF
Craniotomy for head injury
Urgent operation to remove a blood clot or relieve pressure after a head injury.
- Download PDF
Burr holes for chronic subdural haematoma
Draining an old collection of blood from the surface of the brain.
- Download PDF
Cranioplasty
Repairing a defect in the skull with bone or an implant.
Epilepsy, VNS & MVD
- Download PDF
Resective epilepsy surgery
Removing the area of the brain where seizures start, after full epilepsy assessment.
- Download PDF
Vagus nerve stimulator (VNS)
Implanting a stimulator in the chest and neck to reduce seizures.
- Download PDF
Microvascular decompression (MVD)
Moving a blood vessel off a nerve, for trigeminal neuralgia or hemifacial spasm.
Spine
- Download PDF
Lumbar microdiscectomy
Removing a disc prolapse pressing on a nerve in the lower back.
- Download PDF
Lumbar decompression
Relieving narrowing (stenosis) of the spinal canal in the lower back.
- Download PDF
Lumbar fusion
Joining spinal bones with screws and rods to stabilise the lower back.
- Download PDF
Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF)
Removing a disc in the neck from the front and fusing the level.
- Download PDF
Cervical laminectomy or laminoplasty
Making more room for the spinal cord in the neck from the back.
- Download PDF
Spinal cord tumour surgery
Operation to remove a tumour in or around the spinal cord.
Anaesthesia & transfusion
- Download PDF
Anaesthesia for children
General information about anaesthesia for babies and children, to read alongside the procedure form.
- Download PDF
Blood transfusion
Information about receiving blood or blood products during or after surgery.
Anaesthesia for the operation is provided by Van Zyl Anaesthesiologists, a separate practice. Their patient information, procedure consent and accounts pages are on their website.
Anaesthesia patient information Request an anaesthetic cost estimate
Forms are PDF files. For questions before your appointment please contact the rooms. Elective appointments (both Unitas and Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital): 012 664 6026.