Your nervous system affects the way you think, speak and move. There are many types of neurosurgery, and each is complex and delicate. Our neurosurgery team specializes in a variety of techniques aimed at the most positive outcomes and smoothest recoveries possible.
Brain surgery
Many conditions are treated with brain surgery. The most common include:
Surgery can help relieve pain when non-invasive treatments aren’t enough. Your procedure will depend on the severity and cause of pain, your overall health and your post-surgery goals.
When the cervical disc herniates, the pressure placed on the cervical spine can cause pain and discomfort. If medication or physical therapies don’t relieve symptoms, your neurosurgeon may recommend a discectomy, a procedure to remove the damaged disc, or a laminectomy (removal of any bone spurs surrounding the vertebrae).
By removing the pressure on your spine, a cervical discectomy may provide long-term neck pain relief. Depending on your symptoms and their underlying cause, your spine surgeon also may suggest an artificial disc replacement or cervical spinal fusion.
A cervical fusion limits the movement of the cervical vertebrae by permanently joining them together using a bone graft or metal rods, screws or plates.
Artificial disc replacement is most common in the cervical spine (neck) than lower back. If back pain is caused by denegation of discs in your lumbar spine, your surgeon may recommend artificial disc replacement. In this procedure, the damaged disc is carefully removed from between two vertebrae and an artificial one is put in its place. Our skilled surgeons can also do artificial disc replacement in the lumbar spine although not as frequently indicated.
A lumbar discectomy may be performed when symptoms result from additional pressure on the spine due to the herniation of one or more lumbar discs. During this procedure, an opening is made in your spine to access the damaged disc. The disc, or portions of it, will then be removed.
The goal of any discectomy is to relieve spinal pressure and reduce the symptoms of disc herniation, such as leg pain, muscle weakness or numbness. Depending on your situation, your surgeon also may perform a laminectomy, laminotomy or lumbar fusion so you can more easily complete daily tasks and enjoy a more active lifestyle.
If you have spinal stenosis, your surgeon may suggest that you undergo a laminectomy. During this procedure, the lamina (part of the bone that makes up a vertebrae) or bone spurs that may have developed along your spine are carefully removed to make extra room for your spinal column. A foraminotomy or lumbar discectomy may be done at the same time to relieve additional pressure on spinal nerves.
Lumbar fusion is ideal for people with chronic low back pain who can’t find relief from medication or physical therapy. This surgery permanently fuses, or joins, two or more spinal vertebrae together to restrict movement using bone grafts or metal rods or plates. Lumbar fusion is most commonly used for individuals who have had injuries to bones in the spine or whose spine has weakened over time.
Minimally Invasive Spine (MIS) surgery is the most advanced and minimally invasive spinal procedure we offer. MIS techniques can be employed for simple decompression procedures as well as more complex spinal fusion procedures as well as resection of spinal tumors.
MIS surgery is different from open spine surgery for many reasons. Literature suggests that MIS spine surgery can be quicker, safer and may offer a faster recovery time. Because of the smaller incision, MIS surgery reduces trauma to the muscles and soft tissues. Patients may benefit from:
•Smaller scars
•Reduced risk of muscle damage
•Reduced risk of infection
•Reduced pain Quicker recovery from surgery
•Shorter length of stay in the hospital.
•Reduced postoperative pain (pain from surgery)
Most spinal conditions can be treated via the minimally invasive approach, such as:
