Neurosurgery is the medical field concerned with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disorders that affect the entire nervous system including the vertebral column, spinal cord, brain and peripheral nerves.

Conditions treated by neurosurgeons include:

  Spinal disc herniation

  Spinal stenosis

  Hydrocephalus

  Head trauma (brain hemorrhages, skull fractures, etc.)

  Spinal cord trauma

  Traumatic injuries of peripheral nerves

  Brain tumors

  Infections and infestations

  Tumors of the spine, spinal cord and peripheral nerves

  Cerebral aneurysms

  Some forms of hemorrhagic stroke, such as subarachnoid hemorrhages, as well as intraparenchymal and intraventricular hemorrhages

  Some forms of pharmacologically resistant epilepsy

  Some forms of movement disorders (advanced Parkinson's disease, chorea, hemiballism) - this involves the use of specially developed minimally invasive stereotactic techniques (functional, stereotactic neurosurgery)

  Intractable pain of cancer or trauma patients and cranial/peripheral nerve pain

  Some forms of intractable psychiatric disorders

  Malformations of the nervous system

  Carotid artery stenosis

  Vascular malformations (i.e., arteriovenous malformations, venous angiomas, cavernous angiomas, capillary telangiectasias) of the brain and spinal cord

  Peripheral neuropathies such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and ulnar neuropathy

  Moyamoya disease

  Congenital malformations of the nervous system, including spina bifida and craniosynostosis

Neurosurgeons have been leaders in the incorporation of new technologies into the diagnosis, evaluation, and surgical and non-surgical treatment of patients. Although neurosurgery is by nature a surgical field, many patients suffering from neurological illnesses are undergoing non-surgical or minimally invasive treatments. To that end, the explosion of less invasive surgical equipment and techniques, such as microscopes, lasers and focused radiation, as well as cutting-edge medical tools such as stents, shunts and radiosurgery, are changing the way some neurological disorders are treated. These medical advancements have positioned neurosurgeons on the cutting-edge of technology, enhancing the neurosurgeon’s ability to care for patients and making surgery easier on the patient.

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