Overview
A neurosurgeon is a medical doctor who diagnoses and treats conditions that affect your nervous system, including your brain, spinal cord and nerves. Despite the “surgeon” part of the word, neurosurgeons provide both surgical and nonsurgical treatments.
A neurosurgeon is a specially trained medical doctor who diagnoses and treats conditions that affect your nervous system — your brain, spinal cord and nerves. Neurosurgeons perform surgery on your nervous system, but they can also provide nonsurgical treatments. They typically try all nonoperative treatment methods — like medications, steroid injections and physical therapies — before recommending surgery.
Neurosurgeons can also diagnose and treat conditions that affect the structures that support your nervous system, including:
– Your skull.
– Spinal vertebrae.
– Spinal disks.
– Blood vessels.
– Protective membranes and soft tissues.
Other healthcare providers often consult neurosurgeons due to their extensive training on the nervous system.
What does a Neuro Surgeons Do
A neurosurgeon assesses, diagnoses and treats conditions that affect your body’s nervous system, which includes your brain, spinal cord and spinal column, and all of your nerves that extend from your spinal cord. While neurosurgeons can perform complex surgery in your spine and brain, they often suggest nonsurgical or conservative care first. For example, if you have chronic back pain, your neurosurgeon may first recommend anti-inflammatory drugs and/or physical therapy. If your pain doesn’t respond to these treatments, your neurosurgeon may recommend surgery, if possible.
A neurosurgeon is skilled in several surgical and procedure techniques, including:
– Open surgery.
– Minimally invasive surgery.
– Endoscopic surgery.
– Microsurgery.
– Radiosurgery.
– Endovascular surgery.
– Chronic pain interventional procedures.
Neurosurgeons also have thorough training in the tests needed to diagnose and treat neurological conditions. They’re skilled at operating and analyzing the following testing machines:
– CT (computed tomography) scans.
– MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans.
– PET (positron emission tomography) scans.
– Magnetoencephalography (MEG).
– Electroencephalograms (EEG).
What conditions do Neuro Surgeons Treat
Brain tumors.
Carpal tunnel syndrome.
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak.
Chronic pain in your back or neck.
Congenital brain conditions, such as Chiari malformations and arachnoid cysts.
Congenital spinal column conditions, such as spina bifida and tethered spinal cord.
Essential tremor.
Herniated disks.
Hydrocephalus.
Intracranial aneurysms.
Multiple sclerosis (MS).
Parkinson’s disease.
Pinched nerves.
Sciatica.
Seizure disorders, such as epilepsy.
Spinal bone spurs (osteophytes).
Spinal stenosis.
Spinal fractures.
Spinal tumors.
Spinal deformities, such as scoliosis and spondylolisthesis.
Traumatic head, brain, neck or spine injuries.
What Kind of Surgeries do Neuro Surgeons Perform
Neurosurgeons perform several kinds of surgeries and procedures depending on the part of your nervous system — or supporting tissues and structures — that’s affected.
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.
