diff --git a/src/neo4j_genai/client.py b/src/neo4j_genai/client.py
index 085bc38a..77ff9860 100644
--- a/src/neo4j_genai/client.py
+++ b/src/neo4j_genai/client.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def _verify_version(self) -> None:
         Check if the connected Neo4j database version supports vector indexing.
 
         Queries the Neo4j database to retrieve its version and compares it
-        against a target version (5.11.0) that is known to support vector
+        against a target version (5.18.1) that is known to support vector
         indexing. Raises a ValueError if the connected Neo4j version is
         not supported.
         """
@@ -36,14 +36,15 @@ def _verify_version(self) -> None:
                 *tuple(map(int, version.split("-")[0].split("."))),
                 0,
             )
+            target_version = (5, 18, 0)
         else:
             version_tuple = tuple(map(int, version.split(".")))
+            target_version = (5, 18, 1)
 
-        target_version = (5, 11, 0)
 
         if version_tuple < target_version:
             raise ValueError(
-                "Version index is only supported in Neo4j version 5.11 or greater"
+                "This package only supports Neo4j version 5.18.1 or greater"
             )
 
     def create_index(
@@ -71,27 +72,22 @@ def create_index(
         Raises:
             ValueError: If validation of the input arguments fail.
         """
-        index_data = {
-            "name": name,
-            "label": label,
-            "property": property,
-            "dimensions": dimensions,
-            "similarity_fn": similarity_fn,
-        }
         try:
-            index_data = CreateIndexModel(**index_data)
+            CreateIndexModel(**{
+                "name": name,
+                "label": label,
+                "property": property,
+                "dimensions": dimensions,
+                "similarity_fn": similarity_fn,
+        })
         except ValidationError as e:
             raise ValueError(f"Error for inputs to create_index {str(e)}")
 
         query = (
-            "CALL db.index.vector.createNodeIndex("
-            "$name,"
-            "$label,"
-            "$property,"
-            "toInteger($dimensions),"
-            "$similarity_fn )"
+            f"CREATE VECTOR INDEX $name IF NOT EXISTS FOR (n:{label}) ON n.{property} OPTIONS "
+            "{ indexConfig: { `vector.dimensions`: toInteger($dimensions), `vector.similarity_function`: $similarity_fn } }"
         )
-        self.driver.execute_query(query, index_data.model_dump())
+        self.driver.execute_query(query, {"name": name, "dimensions": dimensions, "similarity_fn": similarity_fn})
 
     def drop_index(self, name: str) -> None:
         """
diff --git a/src/neo4j_genai/types.py b/src/neo4j_genai/types.py
index 6649f782..e9fc80d4 100644
--- a/src/neo4j_genai/types.py
+++ b/src/neo4j_genai/types.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ class CreateIndexModel(BaseModel):
     name: str
     label: str
     property: str
-    dimensions: int = PositiveInt
+    dimensions: PositiveInt
     similarity_fn: Literal["euclidean", "cosine"]
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_client.py b/tests/test_client.py
index 9da6b6e7..faab9da1 100644
--- a/tests/test_client.py
+++ b/tests/test_client.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 
 def test_genai_client_supported_aura_version(driver):
-    driver.execute_query.return_value = [[{"versions": ["5.11-aura"]}], None, None]
+    driver.execute_query.return_value = [[{"versions": ["5.18-aura"]}], None, None]
 
     GenAIClient(driver=driver)
 
@@ -16,13 +16,13 @@ def test_genai_client_no_supported_aura_version(driver):
     with pytest.raises(ValueError) as excinfo:
         GenAIClient(driver=driver)
 
-    assert "Version index is only supported in Neo4j version 5.11 or greater" in str(
+    assert "This package only supports Neo4j version 5.18.1 or greater" in str(
         excinfo
     )
 
 
 def test_genai_client_supported_version(driver):
-    driver.execute_query.return_value = [[{"versions": ["5.11.5"]}], None, None]
+    driver.execute_query.return_value = [[{"versions": ["5.19.0"]}], None, None]
 
     GenAIClient(driver=driver)
 
@@ -33,34 +33,34 @@ def test_genai_client_no_supported_version(driver):
     with pytest.raises(ValueError) as excinfo:
         GenAIClient(driver=driver)
 
-    assert "Version index is only supported in Neo4j version 5.11 or greater" in str(
+    assert "This package only supports Neo4j version 5.18.1 or greater" in str(
         excinfo
     )
 
 
 def test_create_index_happy_path(driver, client):
     driver.execute_query.return_value = [None, None, None]
-    create_query = (
-        "CALL db.index.vector.createNodeIndex("
-        "$name,"
-        "$label,"
-        "$property,"
-        "toInteger($dimensions),"
-        "$similarity_fn )"
-    )
+    create_query = ("CREATE VECTOR INDEX $name IF NOT EXISTS FOR (n:People) ON n.name OPTIONS "
+    "{ indexConfig: { `vector.dimensions`: toInteger($dimensions), `vector.similarity_function`: $similarity_fn } }")
 
     client.create_index("my-index", "People", "name", 2048, "cosine")
 
-    driver.execute_query.assert_called_once_with(
-        create_query,
-        {
-            "name": "my-index",
-            "label": "People",
-            "property": "name",
-            "dimensions": 2048,
-            "similarity_fn": "cosine",
-        },
-    )
+    driver.execute_query.assert_called_once_with(create_query, {"name": "my-index", "dimensions": 2048, "similarity_fn": "cosine"})
+
+def test_create_index_ensure_escaping(driver, client):
+    driver.execute_query.return_value = [None, None, None]
+    create_query = ("CREATE VECTOR INDEX $name IF NOT EXISTS FOR (n:People) ON n.name OPTIONS "
+    "{ indexConfig: { `vector.dimensions`: toInteger($dimensions), `vector.similarity_function`: $similarity_fn } }")
+
+    client.create_index("my-complicated-`-index", "People", "name", 2048, "cosine")
+
+    driver.execute_query.assert_called_once_with(create_query, {"name": "my-complicated-`-index", "dimensions": 2048, "similarity_fn": "cosine"})
+
+
+def test_create_index_validation_error_dimensions_negative_integer(client):
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as excinfo:
+        client.create_index("my-index", "People", "name", -5, "cosine")
+    assert "Error for inputs to create_index" in str(excinfo)
 
 
 def test_create_index_validation_error_dimensions(client):