Neurosurgery (Neurological Surgery)
What is neurosurgery?
Neurosurgery is a type of medical care that deals with problems in the central and peripheral nervous systems. This includes the brain, spine, and nerves.
A doctor who focuses their work in this is called a neurosurgeon or neurological surgeon. Neurosurgeons can help treat many kinds of issues, including pain. They can treat issues through surgery and in other ways. They can treat things like:
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Problems with blood vessels in the brain and spinal cord
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Issues with the pituitary gland, such as prolactinomas
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Tumors in the brain, like gliomas, meningiomas, and others
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Problems with or infection in the spinal cord and spine
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Issues with nerves, like carpal tunnel or trapped ulnar nerve
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Problems with the autonomic nervous system, which controls things like sweating
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Movement disorders, like Parkinson's disease
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Pain disorders, like trigeminal neuralgia
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Injuries to the brain or spine, both recent and older ones
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Some types of epilepsy
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Problems with the fluid around the brain and spine
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Conditions after an injury, like postconcussion syndrome
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Disorders that affect how you function, like Tourette syndrome and depression
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Inherited diseases that affect the nervous system
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Problems in children and teens, like issues with the skull, spine, or blood vessels
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Serious issues in the ICU, like brain swelling and coma
Online Medical Reviewer:
Luc Jasmin MD
Online Medical Reviewer:
Marianne Fraser MSN RN
Online Medical Reviewer:
Raymond Kent Turley BSN MSN RN
Date Last Reviewed:
8/1/2023
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