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What does neurosurgery do and what diseases does it treat?

15/06/2023 What does neurosurgery do and what diseases does it treat?

Neurosurgery is a specialization of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the nervous system (central, peripheral). The patient is referred to a neurosurgical clinic usually when conservative treatment (medication, physiotherapy) does not give effect and does not bring an improvement in his health.

What is the neurosurgery studying?

The competence of a neurosurgeon includes the brain and spinal cord, peripheral nerves, as well as the vascular system that supplies blood to the body. The doctor gives patients a referral for the necessary tests, prescribes medications, performs minimal invasive procedures and confirms the need for surgical intervention in the hospital.

Subsections of neurosurgery include:

  1. Neurotraumatology.
  2. Pediatric neurosurgery.
  3. Psychosurgery.
  4. Functional neurosurgery.
  5. Surgery of vascular diseases of the central nervous system.
  6. Neurosurgery of the peripheral nervous system.
  7. Spinal neurosurgery.
  8. Neuro-oncology.
  9. Purulent-septic neurosurgery.

Symptoms of neurosurgical diseases

Indications for a visit to a neurosurgery clinic are the following symptoms:

  • headache;
  • fainting and dizziness;
  • visual impairment for an unknown reason;
  • poor concentration and memory;
  • back pain;
  • numbness and tingling of the extremities;
  • paralysis of the limbs;
  • osteochondrosis of the spine;
  • loss of balance;
  • hearing impairment;
  • seizures;
  • frequent loss of consciousness.

The doctor should examine the patient and suggest methods of treatment.

What diseases does neurosurgery treat?

The main diseases of the peripheral and central nervous systems that are subject to diagnosis and treatment in the neurosurgical department include:

  1. Degenerative diseases of the spinal column.
  2. Osteochondrosis of the thoracic, cervical and lumbar spine.
  3. Spinal canal stenosis.
  4. Diseases associated with spinal overload.
  5. Compression fractures of the spine.
  6. Lumbosacral sciatica.
  7. Acute, chronic back pain.
  8. Spondylolisthesis (sacral anomaly).
  9. Vascular diseases of the central nervous system.
  10. Diseases of the peripheral nerves.
  11. Intracranial hypertension.
  12. Tumors of the brain and spinal cord, spine.
  13. Chiari syndrome and syringomyelia.
  14. Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and dementia.
  15. Hydrocephalus (accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid).

The neurosurgeon also deals with patients with injuries. For example, after road accidents - with a traumatic brain injury, fractures of the skull bones, intracranial hemorrhage or damage to peripheral nerve endings.

What does a neurosurgeon's examination look like?

At the first appointment with a neurosurgeon, you must bring all the studies that have been done, for example, a blood test, X-ray, etc. (if there are any). During the visit, the doctor first performs a neurological examination.

Checks for the presence of symptoms: rigidity of the occipital muscles, photophobia, soreness of the eyeballs and a number of other diseases that may indicate inflammation of the meninges or the brain.

The doctor also checks the muscle tone, the strength of the muscle tissue, the presence of different reflexes and surface sensations. If necessary, prescribes a computer tomography or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).

MRI is an invasive method by which a high-frequency image of the inner part of the body is obtained. Computed tomography, on the contrary, allows you to obtain cross-sections of tomographic images of the object under study using X-rays. The photographed part of the patient's body is performed in 2D or 3D techniques.

What tests can a neurosurgeon prescribe?

The doctor also prescribes additional examinations, with the help of which it is possible to recognize diseases of the nervous system and their severity. The most detailed and technically advanced test is emission tomography. It can be used to analyze lesions at the cellular level. This makes it possible to detect disturbing changes at an early stage of their development.

Another well – known test that a neurosurgeon can order is magnetoencephalography. It involves visualizing the electrical activity of the brain by registering the magnetic field that the brain creates.

The neurosurgeon may also recommend the following tests:

  • general blood and urine tests;
  • ultrasound;
  • examination of cerebrospinal fluid;
  • biochemical research;
  • examination of the endocrine system.

Thanks to all these studies, it is possible to confirm the previously made diagnosis and offer an appropriate method of treating the disease in the patient.

What treatment methods are used in neurosurgery?

Neurosurgery is, in fact, an invasive treatment when pharmacotherapy is ineffective or insufficient.

Minimally invasive procedures include, for example, endoscopic removal of a herniated disc, percutaneous laser decompression of the intervertebral disc, microdiscectomy of the cervical or lumbar spine, stabilization of the vertebrae with an implant and transdermal cementation of the spine shank. These procedures do not require extensive surgical intervention and are usually performed using local anesthesia.

More serious procedures that are performed by a neurosurgeon include operations:

  • removal of brain tumors;
  • removal of neoplasms in the spinal canal;
  • fractures of the skull bones;
  • hydrocephalus;
  • brain aneurysm;
  • cervical disc or disc of the lumbar spine;
  • on peripheral nerves after injuries;
  • elimination of spinal cord compression.

After surgery, the doctor may prescribe pharmacotherapy.

Neurosurgical medical instruments

To achieve positive results during surgical interventions, it is necessary to use professional sets of neurosurgical medical instruments, including:

  • needles for spinal puncture;
  • removable and non-removable clips;
  • a ring with a set of drills and cutters for trepanation of the skull;
  • chisel, surgical hammer;
  • hook for isolating nerve trunks;
  • scissors, clamps, knives;
  • wire saws;
  • forceps, wire cutters;
  • wound expanders;
  • spatula, spoons.

All neurosurgical instruments are made of medical steel and titanium alloys of the highest quality. To prevent damage to medical instruments, they are coated with a chromium-containing coating. This protects metal equipment from oxidation when interacting with medicines, acids and chemical solutions.

Where can I order medical instruments for neurosurgery?

Use the services of the online store "Medika" to purchase all the necessary high-quality neurosurgical instruments at the best prices. You can order the tool with delivery, which is carried out throughout Ukraine.