Mr Dominic Thompson

Consultant Paediatric Neurosurgeon
Mr Dominic Thompson

Overview

Mr Dominic Thompson is one of six paediatric neurosurgeons in the department of Paediatric Neurosurgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). The paediatric neurosurgical service at GOSH is one of the busiest units in the world and performs over 1000 paediatric neurosurgical operations per year. The neurosurgical team works in close collaboration with allied disciplines to offer a comprehensive service for all paediatric neurosurgical conditions. In addition to general paediatric neurosurgery (cranial trauma, hydrocephalus, CNS infection etc.) the team offers subspecialist expertise in the surgical management of craniofacial deformity, neuro-oncology, epilepsy, congenital spinal anomalies and neurovascular disorders.  

The surgical team uses the latest technological advances in operative paediatric neurosurgery, including image guided surgery, robotics and intraoperative electophysiological monitoring. Additionally, the team have an active program of clinical research and surgical audit aimed at improving outcomes for paediatric neurosurgery patients. 

Credentials

In additional to general paediatric neurosurgery Mr Thompson has particular subspecialist areas of clinical interest, he has an international reputation for the management of spinal abnormalities in childhood. 

Specific areas of surgical expertise include:  

Congenital anomalies of the paediatric spine 

  • Spinal dysraphism (spinal lipomas) and tethered spinal cord
  • Myelomeningoclele (spina bifida)
  • Craniovertebral junction malformations 
  • Chiari malformations and syringomyelia

Tumours of the spine  

  • Intramedullary spinal cord tumours 
  • Tumours of the vertebral column

Spinal deformity  

  • Mr Thompson has a close collaboration with the spinal orthopaedic service and cases of complex spinal deformity are commonly addressed through a combined surgical approach

Moyamoya disease in children 

  • In conjunction with paediatric neurology colleagues Mr Thompson is part of a neurovascular team providing revascularisation surgery for moyamoya disease
  • Mr Thompson's main clinical and research interests relate to disorders of the spine in childhood and he has specific interests in the causes and treatment of tethered spinal cord. 
  • Mr Thompson introduced the use of comprehensive intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring for spinal Neurosurgery at GOSH. These techniques facilitate accurate measurements of spinal cord function during surgery in an attempt to make surgery as safe as possible.
  • He is part of a multidisciplinary team for the management of complex spinal deformity in children and regularly performs joint surgery with spinal orthopaedic colleagues. 
  • Mr Thompson has developed a recent interest and experience of fetal surgery for myelomeningoclele. He is part of a fetal surgery collaboration between University College London and University of Leuven Belgium.
  • MB.BS (London) 
  • BSc (Anat.) 
  • Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England 
  • FRCS(Surgical Neurology) 
  • 2010-2012 Chairman of the British Paediatric Neurosurgery Group (BPNG)
  • 2012-2016 Scientific Chairman of the European Society of Paediatric Neurosurgery (ESPN) 
  • 2016-2018 Secretary of the European Society of Paediatric Neurosurgery (ESPN) 

Mr Thompson has published over 100 original articles, reviews and book chapters related to paediatric neurosurgery. He regularly teaches on National and International training courses in Paediatric Neurosurgery. 

He has an active collaboration with research scientists at the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health investigating the causes of neural tube defects. 

News & Publications

Book Chapters 

Thompson, D., & Hayward, R. 2017. Osseous malformations of the skull and craniovertebral junction. In A. Arzimanoglu, A. O'Hare, M. Johnston, & O. Ouvrier Eds., 2018. Aicardi`s Diseases of the Nervous System in Childhood (4th ed.,). Hoboken: Wiley. pp. 3-28.  

Thompson, D. 2015. Anterior skull base approaches to the posterior fossa. In M. Ozek, G. Cinalli, W. Maixner, & C. Sainte-Rose Eds., 2015. Posterior Fossa Tumors in Children. New York: Springer. pp. 219-228.

Pang, D., & Thompson, D. 2013. Embryology, classification and surgical management of bony malformations of the craniovertebral junction. In C. Di Rocco, & N. Akalan Eds., 2013. Pediatric Craniovertebral Junction Diseases Surgical Management of Craniovertebral Junction Diseases in Children (Vol. 40). New York: Springer. pp. 19-110.

McLone, D., & Thompson, D. 2000. Spinal lipomas. In D. McLone Ed., 2000. Pediatric Neurosurgery Surgery of the Developing Nervous System (4th ed.,). Philadelphia: Saunders. pp. 289-301.

Clinical research papers 

Raza-Knight, S., Mankad, K., Prabhakar, P., & Thompson, D. 2017. Headache outcomes in children undergoing foramen magnum decompression for Chiari I malformation. Archives of Disease in Childhood. 102(3) pp. 238-243. 

Tisdall, M. M., Hayward, R. D., & Thompson, D. N. P. 2015. Congenital spinal dermal tract: How accurate is clinical and radiological evaluation?. Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics. 15(6) pp. 651-656.

Thompson, D. N. P. 2014. Spinal dysraphic anomalies; classification, presentation and management. Paediatrics and Child Health (United Kingdom). 24(10) pp. 421-438. 

Thompson, D. N. P. 2013. Spinal inclusion cysts. Child's Nervous System. 29(9) pp.1647-165. 

Ng, J., Thompson, D., Lumley, J. P. S., Saunders, D. E., & Ganesan, V. 2012. Surgical revascularisation for childhood moyamoya. Child's Nervous System. 28(7) pp. 1041-1048.

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Contact details 

Marion Exley

PA to Mr Dominic Thompson

E-mail: marionexleypp@gmail.com

Tel No. +44 (0)7498 961720

Fax: +44 20 7022 8787

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