Doctor Guru's Featured Neurosurgeons in Singapore
Know and Understand the Capabilities of a Neurosurgeon
Neurosurgeons are among the most respected of medical practitioners, as their field of medicine takes them into the brain, the central and peripheral nervous system, and spine care. Neurology is defined as the study of the nervous system, broken down into three categories; central, peripheral, and autonomic. Think of the central nervous system as the major form of communication from the brain to every cell in your body. Any injury, disruption or trauma to the spine or the brain may cause damage to or reduced function in how your muscles work, in your cognitive levels, how you think and reason, and even how you speak.
What Conditions Does a Neurosurgeon Treat?
Neurosurgery is a highly specialized field, and not all neurosurgeons focus on the brain. While some neurosurgeons deal mostly with brain surgeries, others focus on the spine while others specialize in disorders of the central or peripheral nervous system. For example, following are a few of the most common issues that neurosurgeons treat:
- Multiple sclerosis
- Traumatic brain injury
- ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease, or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
- Parkinson's disease
Neurosurgeons may also address and treat traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and major nerve damage caused by disease processes, and even old age. A neurosurgeon relies on the number of neurological diagnostic tools, including but not limited to:
- Brain scans - including MRIs - magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography or CT, or positron emission tomography (PET). These types of scans are often used to pinpoint brain hemorrhage, tumor growth, and malformations of blood vessels.
- Neurological examinations - these examinations focus on studying your reflexes, ordination and balance, speech pattern, and mental status. They’re useful in determining presence of tumors or brain infections such as encephalitis.
- Cerebral angiogram - this diagnostic test helps locate obstructions or narrowing in blood vessels that serve the brain, as well as identifying tumors, brain aneurysms, or vascular malformations.
- Electroencephalography (EEG) - this test monitors brain activity and is often used in the diagnosis of seizure disorders, degenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease, and inflammation of the brain or spinal cord.
Common Neurosurgery Procedures
Some of the most commonly performed neurosurgery procedures today include those related to:
- Head trauma/brain hemorrhage/brain aneurysms
- Brain tumors (cancerous tumor growth as well as tumors found within nerves, called neurofibromas or Schwannomas)
- Minimally invasive spine surgery (cervical, thoracic, and lumbar)
- Peripheral nerve surgery
- Functional neurosurgery - treatment of conditions such as tremors and dystonia related to Parkinson's disease, as well as deep brain stimulation
Today, minimally invasive procedures such as laser surgery, da Vinci robotic surgery, and computer assisted laser surgical procedures are widely used, requiring additional training and experience of your neurosurgeon.
Laser spine procedures are also commonly performed by neurosurgeons that focus on spine care. Laser spine and spine surgery procedures are often performed for pain relief as well as increased mobility, range of motion and function caused by trauma or degenerate conditions. The most common treatments and procedures include surgeries that treat and relieve pain and limited motion caused by:
- Herniated discs
- Sciatica or pinched nerves
- Spinal arthritis
- Spinal stenosis
- Bone spurs
- Vertebral disc surgery (for damaged or degenerated discs caused by disease or chronic conditions such as arthritis)
Your Neurosurgeon’s Training
A neurosurgeon is a highly trained individual who has undergone not only basic education and medical school, but also a residency internship in neurology that may take anywhere between five to seven years to complete. After that, the neurosurgeon completes one or two years of a fellowship in the brain specialty field, such as the study of cerebrovascular disorders, brain tumors, or neurodegenerative disease processes.