Physician Referrals
Children’s Neurosurgical Associates is one of the most respected surgical services in the country. We are affiliated with, and perform all our procedures at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, California. In 2009 we treated over 400 patients ranging in age from a few weeks to 12 years of age.
Our New Patient Pediatric Referral Form can be downloaded to the right or can be submitted electronically. Please note the requirements for sending images or CD’s to us prior to scheduling an appointment. Please fill out the following New Patient Referral Form and fax it or return it electronically to us. It is very important that you include all pertinent clinical notes, such as head circumference charts and /or any other measurements related to the referring diagnosis, radiology reports and any chart notes that may be helpful to us. Please also remember to include insurance information and any authorization as required by the individual insurance plan.
Our web site offers patients and their families’ video stories of actual experiences for these disorders. They may be a valuable tool in helping them understand the disease and the quality of care offered at Children’s Neurosurgical Associates.
The shunt infection rate last year was remarkably low at 0.45%. The 30-day mortality rate on craniotomies, excluding trauma, was 0.0%. The neuro-oncology program with Jonathan Finlay MD - the leading pediatric neuro-oncologist in the country - as our consultant along with Caroline Hastings MD and Joe Torkildson MD as our director, sees the largest number of brain tumors in the surrounding 10-county area, with additional patients from out of state
We continue to offer the most comprehensive spasticity program in Northern California. Our program has been named for Warwick Peacock MD, the modern pioneer of selective dorsal rhizotomy in this country. We have also started a surgical epilepsy program headed by Rachel Kuperman MD, who finished her pediatric epilepsy fellowship at UCSF in 2008. The epilepsy program collaborates with CPMC as our adult partners and previously refractory patients now have a chance of a major improvement and even a cure a here.
There is also now a multidisciplinary complex pediatric spinal disorders program that includes orthopedics, rehabilitation, and physical therapy. The most complex pediatric spinal disorders get the best results when there is both an orthopedic spine surgeon and a pediatric neurosurgeon caring for the child.
Patrick Wong, our PA, and Kristen Ghoussaini, our Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, also have a screening clinic for head shape and sacral dimples without the need to image these little patients first.
We continue to have Modesto, Reno, Sacramento, Marin, Chico, and Walnut Creek offices.
Please feel free to email Dr. Sun with any questions at psun@mail.cho.org. We can always be reached at the office at (800) 550-1529 or through the page operator at 1-855-PEDS-NSG (1-855-733-7674).