FAQ's
What Is Neurosurgery?
Neurosurgery is the surgical care of the brain and spinal cord. This includes many diseases and injuries of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves such as:
- Cerebral hemorrhages
- Cerebrovascular conditions including aneurysms and vascular malformations
- Brain and spinal cord tumors
- Spinal cord injuries
- Spinal cord injuries Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal surgeries including laminectomies and fusions
Who Sees a Neurosurgeon?
You may want to need see a neurosurgeon if you have been examined by a primary care physician and told that your symptoms are neurological in nature and require surgery. Your primary care physician will consult a neurosurgeon and schedule an appointment for an exam and possible tests. Once your exam and tests are completed, the neurosurgeon will work with you to determine the plan of care and schedule surgery if necessary.
What possible problems should I look for after brain surgery?
You should call your neurosurgeon in the following situations: seizure, severe headache, worsening neurological problems, fever or chills, swelling of the ankles, bleeding or bruising, severe nausea or vomiting, and skin rash.
Do I need surgery if I am being referred to a neurosurgeon?
Not necessarily. Your referring physician most likely believes that you have a disease or disorder which would benefit from diagnoses and treatment by a neurosurgeon. The decision whether or not to recommend surgery is a complex one best handled by your neurosurgeon and his team.
What does minimally invasive surgery mean?
With minimally invasive surgery techniques patients experience less trauma and pain due to very minimal disruption of the musculature. Compared to more traditional surgical techniques patients have minimal scarring because of very small incisions, faster recovery, shorter hospital stays and can return to pre-surgery activity levels much more quickly.