The pediatric neurosurgical patient: the challenge of growing up.

Adults treated in infancy for conditions such as spina bifida and hydrocephalus are not cured of their conditions even after reaching adulthood. However, patients who have received coordinated care within a children's facility are unlikely to find the same type of coordinated care when they become adults. This article explores the various causes of these difficulties, which are not uniform across geographic areas, and the need for and challenges of planning the transition of care of pediatric neurosurgical patients from pediatric neurosurgeons to general or adult neurosurgical practices.