8 Most Common Neurosurgery Procedures
People assume that a neurosurgery is something related to the brain, but it is much more than that. Neurosurgery is a procedure that is performed on the nervous system. Neurosurgery is a medical specialty that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of individuals with a brain injury, or diseases/disorders of the spinal column, spinal cord and brain, and the peripheral nerves.
Neurosurgical care is directed to both pediatric and adult patients. The doctor offers surgical and/or non-surgical care options based on the nature of the disease, disorder or injury.
Neurosurgeon
Also known as a brain surgeon, a neurosurgeon is a specialist doctor who specializes in neurosurgery. They are medically trained to help and treat patients suffering from neck and back pain, and a host of other diseases including trigeminal neuralgia, Parkinson’s disease, and head injury. They usually spend most of their time in treating spine related issues.
Here is a list of the most common neurosurgery procedures:
- Anterior Cervical Discectomy
- Chiari Decompression
- Craniotomy
- Epilepsy Surgery
- Laminectomy
- Lumbar Puncture
- Microdiscectomy
- Spinal Fusion
- Anterior Cervical Discectomy
Almost every one of us experiences neck pain at a point in our lives. However, you need to go see a neurosurgeon if the pain is because of a herniated disc. The pain is often very unbearable and it may also require surgery. It is a common yet delicate procedure in which involves the removal of the damaged disc that presses the nerve root or spinal cord.
- Chiari Decompression
A defect in the brain’s part that controls balance is called as the Arnold-Chiari malformation. The condition has to be corrected so the patient has improvement in coordination and balance. For this, there are several treatment options but all the options involve surgery. The simplest and safest neurosurgery for this is the Chiari decompression. It involves the removal of the bone at the back of the skull.
- Craniotomy
There are countless victims of brain injuries and strokes which are traumatic. Neurosurgical procedures have saved many such patients and one such procedure is craniotomy. In this procedure, a part of the skull is removed so the brain gets space without being crushed.
- Epilepsy Surgery
In cases where the epileptics do not respond to the pharmacological treatment, a neuro specialist advises a surgical option. The most common surgical procedures involve the removal of the portion of the brain which produces fatal seizures.
- Laminectomy
It is a minimally invasive operation that requires small incisions that are used to remove a part of the lamina or the vertebral bone. Laminectomy is also known as decompression surgery and it is very common for individuals with severe chronic back pain.
- Lumbar Puncture
It is a simple yet effective test that is done to find out about a number of diseases affecting the central nervous system.
- Microdiscectomy
It is a procedure used to treat individuals with painful herniated discs.
- Spinal Fusion
Whether for someone with a traumatic injury or a degenerative disease, the spinal fusion is a surgical procedure that helps to keep the spine stable. It is done when there is when there is no other option.
