What is a Neurosurgery?

Most people think of brain surgery as brain surgery, but it is much more than that! It is the medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of of patients with injury to, or diseases/disorders of the brain, spinal cord and spinal column, and peripheral nerves within all parts of the body. Neurosurgery includes adults and children. Depending on the nature of the injury or disease, the neurosurgeon may perform surgical and/or nonsurgical treatment.

Who is a Neurosurgeon?

A doctor who specializes in brain surgery. Neurosurgeons are more than neurosurgeons; They are neurosurgeons who can help patients with back and neck pain and many other conditions, from trigeminal neuralgia to headaches and Parkinson's disease.

Neurosurgeons treat people with a range of neurological issues, such as:

• Lower back pain

• Peripheral nervous system disorders (issues with nerves that carry messages to and from the brain)

• Brain tumors

• Carpal tunnel syndrome

  
  

  Neurosurgeons use state-of-the-art imaging technologies to find the source of the problem. These include:

  
  

• Magnetoencephalography (MEG scan), used to find the source of seizures

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), used to create detailed pictures of the inside of the body

• Positron emission tomography (PET scan), often used to search for cancer

• Computed tomography (CT scan), a test that shows more detail than a standard X-ray

What Kind of Surgeries do Neurosurgeons perform?

Types of brain surgery include:

• Blood clot removal

• Aneurysm repair

• Tumor removal

• Brain bleed (hemorrhage) stoppage

• Trauma repair

• Shunt insertion

Types of peripheral nerve surgery include:

• Carpal tunnel release

• Ulnar nerve release

• Vagus nerve stimulation

Types of spine surgery include:

• Stereotactic spine radiosurgery

• Diskectomy

• Laminectomy

• Spinal fusion

• Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty

• Spine stabilization and reconstruction

What are some neurosurgery subspecialty fields?

Some neurosurgery subspecialty fields include:

• Cerebrovascular surgery.

• Endovascular surgical neuroradiology.

• Epilepsy surgery.

• Functional neurosurgery.

• Neuro-oncology.

• Pediatric neurosurgery.

• Spinal surgery.