Expertise and compassion

At Inova L.J. Murphy Children's Hospital, our surgeons bring expertise and compassion to the complex care they provide children with neurosurgical needs.

Our neurosurgeons, Leon Moores, MD and Kristopher G. Hooten, MD, are fellowship trained experts in their field. Together they have decades of experience caring for children with brain tumors, spinal tumors and deformities, craniofacial and congenital abnormalities, epilepsy and other diseases and disorders of the brain and spine.

Our doctors lead a pediatric neuro-trauma team that is skilled in treating the most urgent of cases, including interventions for trauma and pediatric stroke. They work within multi-disciplinary teams that include anesthesia, neurology, plastic and reconstructive surgery, hematology/oncology, genetics, rehabilitation, and any other needed specialty to provide the best outcomes for our patients.

Peggy Vollstad, PA-C is a pediatric neurosurgery physician assistant. She joined Inova in 2016 and has been practicing since 2004. Prior to joining Inova, Peggy practiced both adult and pediatric neurosurgery in Texas. She then moved to Norway for several years, where she coordinated neurosurgical research initiatives at Oslo University Hospital and Vilhelm Magnus Laboratory for Neurosurgical Research. She also traveled throughout Scandinavia and Europe assisting in minimally invasive surgical techniques and helped begin a neurosurgery program in Malawi, Africa. Peggy attended the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, CT, for her training and has been involved in neurosurgery since 2004.

Inova Children’s works closely with pediatric specialists across the region including Pediatric Specialists of Virginia (PSV).

Search Pediatric Neurology or Pediatric Neurosurgery physicians at Inova 

We specialize in both pediatric neurology and pediatric neurosurgery

Pediatric Neurology

The specialists at Inova Children's Hospital are experts in treating a broad range of pediatric neurological disorders. From the management of epilepsy and seizures to advanced concussion care, the Inova Children's team is here for you and your child.

Neurology conditions treated:

Pediatric Neurosurgery

Conditions treated by Inova pediatric neurosurgeons:

• Congenital malformations of the brain and spine (spina bifida, tethered spinal cord, Chiari malformations)
• Craniofacial abnormalities
• Tumors of the brain, spine and peripheral nerves
• Vascular malformations of the brain and spine
• Epilepsy
• Spinal deformities
• Hydrocephalus

Fetal Care Program for Neurological Conditions

Using a multidisciplinary approach of specialty physicians and nurses, Inova L.J. Murphy Children’s Hospital Fetal Care Program provides prenatal consultation and pediatric care planning for pregnant women identified as carrying babies with spina bifida and other neurological abnormalities, birth defects or medical problems.

The program provides the advantage of high-risk pregnancy expertise available at Inova Women's Hospital with our pediatric surgical and medical specialties.

Learn more about Inova L.J. Murphy Children’s Hospital Fetal Care Program 

Clinical Trials, Research Protocols, Specialty Clinics

Children with brain and spinal cord disorders who are treated at Inova Children’s also have access to local and national research protocols and clinical trials, as well as one-stop, multidisciplinary specialty clinics and child- and family-focused patient support groups, all conveniently located in Northern Virginia. These services provide an extra layer of tailored emotional and clinical support for children with neurological conditions and their families.

Conditions treated by Inova physicians

The Inova Children's neuroscience program has the expertise to evaluate and treat a wide range of neurological conditions in children of all ages. Among the conditions we treat are:

• Benign and malignant brain and spinal tumors, including:
  • Gliomas
  • Blastomas
  • Pharyngiomas
  • Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumor (AT/RT)
• Retinoblastoma
• Neurologic malformations affecting the fetus and infant, including:
  • Spina bifida
  • Myelomeningocele
  • Encephalocele
  • Hydrocephalus
• Craniofacial abnormalities:
  • Craniosynostosis
  • Cranial vault defects and deformities
  • Bone tumors of the skull
  • Molding deformities of the infant cranium
• Epilepsy and movement disorders
• Concussion and traumatic brain injury
• Craniofacial abnormalities
• Spinal malformations and injuries
• Chiari malformation
• Cerebral palsy and spasticity
• Other pediatric brain and spinal cord conditions and diseases

Inova offers a full range of neurodiagnostics for children

Neurodiagnostics are the testing of the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nervous system. A wide range of neurodiagnostic testing is available at Inova L.J. Murphy Children's Hospital.

Neurodiagnostics are offered for:

• Acute onset of stupor/coma
• Acute paralysis
• Concussion and traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Congenital anomalies of the central nervous system
• Epilepsy
• Headache
• Movement disorders
• Sleep disorders
• Spinal cord injuries
• Stroke

Diagnostic services include:

• CT (computed tomography)
• EEG
• EMG
• Evoked potentials/response
• Intraoperative CT
• Intraoperative evoked potential monitoring
• MRI and fetal MRI
• Sleep studies