Neurosurgery
What is neurosurgery?
Neurosurgery is a surgical specialty that provides diagnosis and surgical treatment for diseases that involve the structures of the nervous system. These structures include:
- The brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves
- The bones, ligaments, tendons, and other connective tissues that surround the nervous system
- The blood vessels that supply to the nervous system
A medical doctor that specializes in neurosurgery is called a neurosurgeon. There are several sub-specialties in neurosurgery, including
- Functional and stereotactic neurosurgery
- Neurotrauma
- Pediatric neurosurgery
- Skull base neurosurgery
- Spinal neurosurgery
- Surgical neuro-oncology
- Vascular neurosurgery
What is neurosurgery used for?
Neurosurgeons treat people who have suffered from brain or spinal cord injuries, diseases, or conditions, such as:
- Blood vessel disorders in the brain or spinal cord, such as aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVM), and dural arteriovenous fistulae
- Stroke disorders such as ischemic strokes (caused by blood clots), hemorrhagic strokes (caused by bleeding in the brain), and transient ischemic attacks (TIA or “mini-stroke”)
- Brain injury, including anoxic injury or traumatic brain injury
- Brain tumors, both benign and cancerous
- Degenerative disorders (disorders that get worse over time) such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington’s chorea, and Alzheimer’s disease
- Functional disorders, such as headache, seizure disorder, dizziness, balance disorders, and neuralgia
- Infections, such as meningitis, encephalitis, polio, and brain abscesses
- Movement disorders, such as dyskinesia and essential tremor
- Neuromuscular disorders, such as Bell’s palsy, cervical spondylosis, peripheral neuropathy, muscular dystrophy, myasthenia gravis, and Guillain-Barré syndrome
Am I a good candidate for neurosurgery?
If you have experienced a brain, spinal cord, or peripheral nerve injury, or you have a disease or condition affecting the brain, spine, or peripheral nervous system, you may need to see a neurosurgeon. A primary care or internal medicine physician can help you to know when it is time to see a neurosurgeon or other specialists.
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please dial 9-1-1.
