The Most Common Neurosurgery Procedures

Most people don’t have a deep knowledge of a lot of medical procedures. When it comes to something as complex as neurosurgery, a lot of people might assume that it has something to do with the brain. While this may be partly true, it actually involves much more than just the brain.

Neurosurgery is a type of medical procedure which is performed on a patient’s nervous system.

Dr. Robert Louis of Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery in Orange County, CA reminds us that while neurosurgery is done on the brain, very often it can involve the spine. Neurosurgery is considered a specialty because it deals with diagnosing and treating patients who either have brain injuries, spinal column disorders, spinal column diseases or issues with the spinal cord, brain or peripheral nerves.

Neurosurgical procedures can be done on both adult and pediatric patients. There are a variety of both surgical and non-surgical options and each option is determined based on the nature of the disorder, disease or injury being treated.

These are some of the more common types of neurosurgery procedures performed.

Anterior Cervical Discectomy

Almost everyone will experience some neck pain during their lifetime. However, if your neck pain is due to a herniated disc, a neurosurgeon might be the answer. Those who suffer from herniated discs know that the pain can be practically unbearable. Some sufferers may end up needing surgery to fix the problem. This procedure is a common one that involve removing the damaged disc responsible for pressing on the spinal cord or nerve root in order to heal the pain being caused.

Craniotomy

It is unfortunate to find out that thousands of people each year are victims of a stroke or brain injury. However, it is fortunate for these victims that there are neurosurgical procedures to save their lives. One of these procedures is called a craniotomy. This procedure involves removing a portion of a patient’s skull so that their brain has more room to heal without the threat of being crushed.

Chiari Decompression

This procedure is used for those affected by a defect in the brain which controls balance. This condition is referred to as Arnold-Chiari malformation. This procedure may be used to correct the condition and enable the patient to have an improvement in their balance and coordination. All options for treatment of this condition involves surgery. However, the safest neurosurgery procedure for this condition is the Chiari decompression and it will involve removing a bone at the back of the patient’s skull.

Laminectomy

This procedure is a minimally-invasive one and requires just small incisions to be made. The incisions are done so that a small portion of the lamina or vertebral bone can be removed. This procedure is common for those patients who suffer from severe and debilitating back pain.

Lumbar Puncture

This procedure is very simple yet very effective. It is done in order to diagnose how many diseases might be affecting the patient’s central nervous system.

Epilepsy Surgery

When someone suffers from epilepsy, the first method of treatment is usually based around pharmacological methods. If a surgical option is necessary, it will be advised by a neurological specialist. The most common types of procedures involve removing a small portion of a patient’s brain that is responsible for producing fatal seizures.

Spinal Fusion

This procedure can be used for someone with a degenerative disease or someone who is suffering from a traumatic injury. A spinal fusion is a type of surgical procedure used to help keep someone’s spine in a stable position. This option is only done as a last resort when all other options did not work.

Microdiscectomy

This is a neurosurgical procedure that is used as a treatment for people suffering from painful herniated discs.

Ventriculostomy

During a ventriculostomy procedure, the specialist will use a tube to remove excess fluid that has built up in a patient’s brain. This procedure is done without implantation.

Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt

This procedure is also one that is used when there is fluid building up in someone’s brain. To drain the excess fluid in this case, a shunt gets implanted into the brain to help drain any excess liquid that accumulates.

It can be said that our brain is our engine and our body is the steering wheel. If our brain does not function properly, our body can become static. If our brain does not function the way it is supposed to, we can start reaching a vegetative state. This is where the importance of neurosurgery comes into play. The use of modern procedures, both invasive and non-invasive, have simplified many complex procedures and brain surgeries in this era and has saved many lives.