| Neurosurgery is the surgical discipline focused on | | | | Some forms of pharmacologically resistant epilepsy |
| treating those central and peripheral nervous system | | | | Some forms of movement disorders (advanced |
| diseases amenable to mechanical intervention. | | | | Parkinson's disease, chorea, hemiballism) - this involves |
| Neurological Surgery is a discipline of medicine and | | | | the use of specially developed minimally invasive |
| that specialty of surgery which provides the | | | | stereotactic techniques (functional, stereotactic |
| operative and nonoperative management (ie, | | | | neurosurgery) |
| prevention, diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, critical | | | | Intractable pain of cancer or trauma patients and |
| care, and rehabilitation) of disorders of the central, | | | | cranial/peripheral nerve pain |
| peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including | | | | Some forms of intractable psychiatric disorders |
| their supporting structures and vascular supply; the | | | | Malformations of the nervous system |
| evaluation and treatment of pathological processes | | | | Carotid artery stenosis |
| that modify the function or activity of the nervous | | | | Arteriovenous malformations of the brain and spinal |
| system, including the hypophysis: and the operative | | | | cord |
| and nonoperative management of pain. As such, | | | | Carpal Tunnel Syndrome |
| neurological surgery encompasses the surgical, | | | | Moyamoya disease |
| nonsurgical and stereotactic radiosurgical treatment of | | | | Neurosurgery Journals |
| adult and pediatric patients with disorders of the | | | | 'Neurosurgery' | Official Journal of the Congress of |
| nervous system: disorders of the brain, meninges, | | | | Neurological Surgeons |
| skull base, and their blood supply, including the surgical | | | | 'British Journal of Neurosurgery' (Informa Healthcare) | |
| and endovascular treatment of disorders of the | | | | Published in association with the Society of British |
| intracranial and extracranial vasculature supplying the | | | | Neurological Surgeons |
| brain and spinal cord; disorders of the pituitary gland; | | | | 'Journal of Neurosurgery' |
| disorders of the spinal cord, meninges, and vertebral | | | | Education |
| column, including those that may require treatment | | | | A person pursuing a neurosurgical career will go |
| by fusion, instrumentation,or endovascular techniques; | | | | through high school and into college. In college, the |
| and disorders of the cranial and spinal nerves | | | | person will take courses fitting a pre-medical outline. |
| throughout their distribution. | | | | (Generally, these courses include biology, physics, |
| Conditions | | | | chemistry, and organic chemistry.) Often times the |
| Neurosurgical conditions include primarily brain, spinal | | | | person will pursue a degree in biology or another |
| cord and peripheral nerve disorders. | | | | related field. During the sophomore or junior year of |
| Conditions treated by neurosurgeons include: | | | | college, the person will take the MCAT (Medical |
| Spinal disc herniation | | | | College Admission Test) and apply to medical schools. |
| Spinal stenosis | | | | After medical school, the person will apply for |
| Hydrocephalus | | | | residencies in neurosurgery that can last up to seven |
| Head trauma (brain hemorrhages, skull fractures, etc.) | | | | years. |
| | | | Job Field |
| Spinal cord trauma | | | | Neurosurgeons can work in private or academic |
| Traumatic injuries of peripheral nerves | | | | practice. The private practitioner makes more money |
| Brain tumors | | | | and works longer but does have more flexible hours. |
| Tumors of the spine, spinal cord and peripheral | | | | They are also on call at any time of the day. |
| nerves | | | | Someone in an academic practice will earn less but |
| Cerebral aneurysms | | | | have a lesser workload. Because they have residents |
| Some forms of hemorrhagic stroke, such as | | | | they rarely have to come in during the middle of the |
| subarachnoid hemorrhages, as well as | | | | night. |
| intraparenchymal and intraventricular hemorrhages | | | | |