There’s a 14-year minimum commitment to post-secondary education for anyone interested in becoming a neurosurgeon, an indication of the complexity of human neurology. You have nerves performing tasks throughout your body, and anytime you have an illness or injury affecting nerves, it may be a neurosurgeon who’s best qualified to treat you.
Abhishiek Sharma, MD, and Erik Curtis, MD of Atlas Neurosurgery and Spine Center are both experienced neurosurgeons with a range of subspecialties between them. However, they recognize that many people have little idea what a neurosurgeon does until they’re affected by a condition that has neurological impact. Listed here are some of the reasons why you might become a candidate for neurosurgery to help you better understand the discipline.
Common neurosurgery procedures
There’s no typical neurosurgery patient. Both children and adults can be affected by neurological disorders, and nerve injuries can happen to anyone.
Spinal fusion
Some degenerative diseases or traumatic injuries can cause mobility issues in the spine that cause chronic back pain. Joining adjacent vertebrae together can often stop the movement that irritates nerves and creates pain. While spinal fusion may restrict some types of movement, it’s considered when the chronic pain condition can’t be otherwise managed.
Aneurysm repairs
Weak points in arterial walls interfere with proper blood flow. Pooling blood pushes out walls at these weak points, increasing the risk of rupture. A neurosurgeon has a range of techniques to reinforce arterial walls, reducing the risk of rupture.
Epilepsy surgery
Whenever possible, epilepsy is treated with anti-seizure medications, but these aren’t always successful. When the portion of the brain that’s causing seizures is located, it can be surgically removed, and the patient no longer experiences epileptic episodes.
Laminectomy
A spinal surgery that’s often done using minimally invasive surgical techniques, laminectomy targets small amounts of bone in the vertebrae to increase the space for nerves branching off the spinal column. This is often an effective treatment for pain associated with spinal stenosis.
Spinal tap
Also known as a lumbar puncture, this procedure accesses the fluid-filled section of the spinal column. Often used for testing of the cerebral spinal fluid, spinal taps are also done for pain relief, to inject dye for diagnostic imaging, or to manage certain other health issues.
Disk removal
Ruptured disks occur more often as you get older. There are plenty of conservative, nonsurgical treatments to ease the pain and mobility issues associated with disk ruptures, but in rare cases, these aren’t successful. Surgery to remove the disk may become necessary.
Craniotomy
Any time the brain needs to be accessed, a craniotomy is necessary. This procedure removes a section of the skull for foreign object or tumor removal, or the removed section may relieve pressure on the brain from bleeding or swelling.
Contact Atlas Neurosurgery and Spine Center at any of our Phoenix and Sun City offices in Arizona when you need the services of an experienced neurosurgeon. Call the most convenient office directly or request an appointment online. Our neurosurgeons walk you through all treatment options, not simply the surgical solutions. Book your appointment now.
