Care Team, Therapy & Support
Transition to adult care
Transition to adult care is the planned process of moving from pediatric to adult healthcare for a young person with hydrocephalus.
In short: Transition to adult care
- It is the move from pediatric to adult healthcare.
- It is important for young people with lifelong hydrocephalus.
- Planning helps maintain continuity of care.
- It includes finding adult providers familiar with the condition.
What it is
Transition to adult care is the planned process by which a young person with hydrocephalus moves from pediatric healthcare to adult healthcare as they grow up. Because hydrocephalus is typically lifelong, this transition is an important part of ongoing care.
Understanding Transition to adult care
As a child with hydrocephalus reaches adolescence and adulthood, their care needs to shift from pediatric providers (such as a pediatric neurosurgeon) to adult providers. A planned transition helps maintain continuity — ensuring the young adult has appropriate adult specialists (such as a neurosurgeon who manages adults with hydrocephalus), understands their own condition and treatment (such as the type of shunt or ETV they have and its history), and knows the warning signs of complications and when to seek care. Good transition planning, often started in the teen years, helps avoid gaps in care during this period. Understanding the importance of transition helps families and young adults prepare for continued, well-coordinated care into adulthood, supporting long-term management of a lifelong condition.
Why it matters
Understanding transition to adult care helps families and young adults see why planning the move to adult healthcare matters — to maintain continuity, build self-knowledge, and avoid gaps in care for a lifelong condition.
Common questions
What is transition to adult care?
The planned move from pediatric to adult healthcare.
Why does it matter?
Hydrocephalus is lifelong, so continuity of care into adulthood is important.
What does it involve?
Finding adult providers and building self-knowledge of the condition.
Bottom line
Transition to adult care is the planned move from pediatric to adult healthcare, important for maintaining continuity for a young person with lifelong hydrocephalus.
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