Neurosurgery

Hearing that you need surgery for a brain tumor or spinal injury can be a shock. The specialists at Luminis Health will walk with you through every step of your treatment, no matter your diagnosis.

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What Is Neurosurgery?

Neurosurgery is the branch of medicine that deals with problems in the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. Neurosurgeons are the doctors who treat these conditions, which include:

Benign and cancerous tumors that originate in the brain.

Cancer that has spread to the brain from elsewhere in the body.

Caused by an aneurysm or traumatic brain injury (i.e., from a car accident, fall, sports injury, or gunshot wound).

A buildup of fluid on the brain.

When the brain is too big for the skull and extends below the bottom of the skull.

Where part of the intervertebral disc protrudes into the spinal canal.

When the space inside the spine is too small, putting pressure on the spinal cord and nerves.

Growths that can be cancerous or non-cancerous. Other cancers (lung, breast, prostate) often spread to the spine.

Why Choose Luminis Health for Neurosurgery?

Our neurosurgery department offers innovative treatments covering a range of brain and spinal diseases and injuries. Here's why you should choose Luminis Health for neurosurgery.

We're high-tech, but close to home. We offer many neurosurgical treatments found at major academic medical centers, but in a more intimate environment. Because we're smaller, we can personalize service to your specific needs.
We're a "one-stop shop." All the doctors you need to see are on one campus, so you don't have to run all over town for your appointments. That's especially important if you're seeing specialists from different departments.
We take a multidisciplinary approach. We work closely with the oncology (cancer) department in treating brain tumors. Your care team may also include ICU doctors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, and nurses.
Our minimally-invasive surgical techniques require less downtime. We want to get you up and around and back to living a full life as soon as possible. Many of our patients go home a few days after surgery.

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Types of Neurosurgery We Offer

No matter what kind of brain or spinal cord condition you have, we can help. Our experts treat a wide range of diseases and injuries. Some of the surgical options we offer are:

Surgical removal of a cancerous or benign brain tumor.

This "knifeless surgery" uses precisely focused radiation to treat tumors and vascular malformations. SRS targets the lesion but spares the surrounding normal brain.

Open surgery to remove blood clots and relieve pressure on the brain.

We offer spinal surgery if a problem involves the spinal cord and peripheral nerves.

Placement of systems to control cerebral spinal fluid buildup.

What to Expect From Neurosurgery

Knowing you need brain or spinal surgery can feel overwhelming. But today's surgical procedures are minimally invasive and don't require as much recovery time as they used to. Your specific treatment will depend on your condition, age, and overall health.

Here are some things to keep in mind about brain or spinal surgery:

You may or may not need neurosurgery for a spinal problem. You can see an orthopedic spine surgeon for some spinal conditions. However, if the problem is intradural — involving the spinal cord itself — you should see a neurosurgeon.
You probably won't need to shave your head. The prep team may shave a tiny strip of hair to make an incision. They will make the incision behind your hairline to keep it covered.
We get you up and around as soon as possible. The day after surgery, you'll begin working with a physical therapist. Many people can go home as soon as three or four days after surgery. (Of course, your recovery time depends on your condition. Traumatic brain injury may have a longer recovery time.)
SRS treatments are done on an outpatient basis. If you're having SRS, you can go home the same day.

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