Neurosurgery : Specialists

What is neurosurgery?

This is the surgical side of neurology which treats diseases of the nerves, brain and spinal cord. Non-surgical conditions are dealt with by a neurologist.

What is a neurosurgeon?

This is a highly trained professional who performs surgery on patients suffering from a range of disorders of the nervous system. This includes diseases of the pituitary gland, brain, spinal cord, vertebral column and cranial/spinal nerves.

A neurosurgeon may specialise in a particular area, for example strokes, paediatric neurosurgery, brain or spine tumour surgery.

What does a neurosurgeon do?

He or she performs surgery in order to treat the following conditions:

• Brain tumour
• Spine tumour
• Strokes
• Head injury (e.g. skull fracture etc)
• Cranial nerve pain
• Spinal stenosis
• Cerebral aneurysm
• Hydrocephalus
• Parkinson’s disease
• Intra-cerebral bleeding
• Carpal tunnel syndrome

Thanks to medical technology, the neurosurgeon has access to the latest equipment and techniques which enable him/her to perform ever more complex procedures. He or she has access to the latest MRI and CT scans as well as a non-invasive form of treatment called ‘radiosurgery’.