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Neurosurgery is a branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases related to the malfunctioning of the nervous system. Patients complaining of, inter alia, for headaches and dizziness, numbness or tingling in limbs, those with spine discopathies and those who experience frequent fainting or other neurological disorders.

Neurosurgeon(a doctor who specializes inneurosurgery ) most often deals with patients in whom the use of drugs did not bring the expected results and there is a need for to consider surgical intervention.

What is the work of a neurosurgeon? Simply put, it is the diagnosis of diseases of the nervous system, referral to necessary tests (computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging), performing minimally invasive procedures, and if necessary, qualification for surgery in a hospital setting and care both before and in the postoperative period.

What diseases does the neurosurgeon deal with?

The neurosurgeon deals with a very wide range of diseases, excluding those that are the responsibility of a vascular surgeon (atherosclerosis, pulmonary embolism, arterial obstruction, etc.) or a cardiac surgeon. The most important diseases that are within the competence of the neurosurgeon are:

  • cervical and lumbar discopathy and diseases in the thoracolumbar region, e.g. diaphragmatic hemangiomas
  • acute and chronic back pain and injuries (e.g. to the spinal cord)
  • brain and spine tumors
  • tumors, e.g. cerebral, intracranial
  • cerebral vascular diseases
  • hydrocephalus
  • damage to peripheral nerves
  • intracranial hemorrhages
  • cerebrospinal hernias, hemangiomas
  • intracranial hypertension

What tests does the neurosurgeon do?

The patients who report to the neurosurgeon most often complain of dizziness and headaches (dull, distressing, stinging), numbness and tingling in the limbs, with spine discopathies.

Another group are those who experience frequent syncope or loss of consciousness, or have other symptoms of neurological abnormalities.

Problems related to concentration and memory, paresis, and visual disturbances are also frequently reported problemsor hearing. Sometimes the symptoms are so nonspecific that the patient first goes to the general practitioner, from there he is referred to a neurologist or orthopedist, and only when the treatment is ineffective or the symptoms of the disease worsen, is he referred to a neurosurgeon.

All tests performed so far should be brought to the first visit, thanks to which the neurosurgeon will not only be able to conduct a detailed interview with the patient, but also perhaps make an initial diagnosis or order additional tests.

The most frequently performed ones are:

  • RTG
  • computed tomography
  • magnetic resonance imaging
  • ultrasound.

More detailed is positron emission tomography, thanks to which it is possible to analyze the metabolism of lesions at the cellular level. It allows you to detect the disease at an early stage of development.

The neurosurgeon may also recommend magnetoencephalography, which is an examination carried out to visualize the electrical activity of the brain by recording the magnetic field produced by the brain.

The doctor may also order laboratory tests, including

  • blood test
  • urine test
  • biochemical research
  • CSF test
  • endocrine research

Neurosurgery: treatment methods

After diagnosis, the neurosurgeon may decide to use minimally invasive treatment methods or, if necessary, refer the patient to surgery.

Minimally invasive methods are, for example :

  • endoscopic removal of a disc hernia
  • percutaneous laser decompression of the intervertebral disc
  • micro discectomy of the cervical or lumbar spine
  • dynamic stabilization with a flexible implant
  • vertebroplasty, i.e. percutaneous cementation of the spine body.

However, in the case of more serious illnesses, the doctor decides to refer the patient to a hospital treatment. The neurosurgeon operates, among others on :

  • tumors of the brain or spinal canal
  • intracranial hematomas
  • hydrocephalus
  • fractures of the skull bones
  • traumatic injuries of the skull integument
  • brain aneurysms
  • cervical or lumbar disc of the spine (if it is not possible to perform the procedure using a minimally invasive method)
  • peripheral nerves after injuries, tumors or in the event of pressure

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