Neuro and Spine Surgeries

What is Brain Surgery ?

The term "brain surgery" refers to various medical procedures that involve repairing structural problems with the brain.

There are numerous types of brain surgery. The type used is based on the area of the brain and condition being treated. Advances in medical technology let surgeons operate on portions of the brain without a single incision near the head. Brain is a vital organ that controls different body organs. Brain surgery is performed when a person is diagnosed with cerebral aneurysms, brain tumors and brain hemorrhage or when a patient has weak blood vessels in the brain.

Conditions and symptoms for brain surgery vary from person to person depending on their condition. Nausea, seizures, headache and drowsiness are some of the common symptoms that require a brain surgery. Brain surgery is also performed to repair damage caused to the tissue covering the brain. The surgery is also necessary for removing brain infections or to relieve serious nerve pain. Or you can say brain surgery may be done if you have:

Brain tumor

Bleeding (hemorrhage) in the brain

Blood clots (hematomas) in the brain

Weaknesses in blood vessels (brain aneurysm repair)

Abnormal blood vessels in the brain (arteriovenous malformations; AVM)

Damage to tissues covering the brain (dura)

Infections in the brain (brain abcesses)

Severe nerve or face pain (such as trigeminal neuralgia or tic douloureux)

Skull fracture

Pressure in the brain after an injury or stroke

Epilepsy

Certain brain diseases (such as Parkinson disease) that may be helped with an implanted electronic device

Hydrocephalus

I can’t imagine the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to alway search my destination.

When it’s dark enough, you can see the stars.

Once you choose hope, anything’s possible. Hope never abandons you, you abandon it.

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.

Dear GOD, if today I lose my hope please remind me that your plans are better than my Dream.....

Types of Brain Surgery

There are different types of brain surgery that depend upon on the location and type of tumor. Basically, there are mainly two types of brain cancer which might require surgery. They are:

Primary brain cancer

Metastatic brain cancer

Primary brain cancer is the one which begins from the brain itself whereas in metastatic brain cancer type, the problem starts in some other body part but finally moves towards the brain. When the brain is involved there are many types of surgeries which include:

Brain Aneurysm Surgery

Endoscopic Brain Surgery

Minimally Invasive Brain Surgery

Bleeding Brain Surgery

Meningioma Brain Surgery

Brain Tumor Surgery

Brain Aneurysm Surgery - it is not necessary that every aneurysm requires treatment. Basically there are two surgical techniques that treat the condition of brain aneurysms- endovascular coiling and neurosurgical clipping.

Endoscopic Brain Surgery - this surgery is basically meant for treating skull base tumors. An endoscopic-assisted surgery results in no scars.

Minimally Invasive Brain Surgery - earlier the problem of brain tumors was treated with the help of craniotomies and also by more invasive skin incisions. These procedures often resulted in more post-operative pain and also involves more recovery time. Many technological advancements in image guidance and endoscopic visualization have introduced less invasive surgery for both spine and brain. This surgery is accomplished through endoscopic approaches (through a small incision), endonasal approaches (through the nose) and supraorbital approaches (above the eye).

Bleeding Brain Surgery - bleeding in the brain or in the space between the skull and the brain requires surgery. The surgical procedure is performed for relieving the pressure in the skull and for removing the blood that has built up in the brain. Surgery is the only option by which blood clots are removed surrounding the surface of the brain.

Meningioma Brain Surgery - a meningioma tumor grows on the surface of the brain. This tumor rather than growing inside the brain, pushes the brain away. Most of these types of tumors are considered as benign. This rare tumor exhibit cancer-like behavior known as anaplastic meningiomas or meningiomas. They represent almost 20% of all the tumors that occurs in the head. The surgery for treating meningioma is a very complex procedure. The aim of the surgery is to preserve the neurological function, removing of sufficient tumor so as to relieve pressure on the normal brain tissue and also removal of the entire tumor so that it will never occur again.

Awake Brain Surgery - this type of surgery is performed when the patient is awake for treating neurological conditions such as epileptic seizures or brain tumors. A patient is made awake during the surgical operation when the tumor is near the parts of the brain controlling speech or movement. The responses of the patient ensure surgeon about the precise area of the brain requiring surgery. Also this procedure lowers down the risk of damage to the brain’s functional area. This surgery has many advantages. The patients who have brain tumors around the brain’s functional tissue and also their condition was inoperable earlier, can opt for awake brain surgery. This surgery reduces the tumor’s size and also improves overall quality of life.

Brain Tumor Surgery - a brain tumor, known as an intracranial tumor, is an abnormal mass of tissue in which cells grow and multiply uncontrollably, seemingly unchecked by the mechanisms that control normal cells. More than 150 different brain tumors have been documented, but the two main groups of brain tumors are termed primary and metastatic.

Primary brain tumors include tumors that originate from the tissues of the brain, or the brain’s immediate surroundings. Primary tumors are categorized as glial (composed of glial cells) or non-glial (developed on or in the structures of the brain, including nerves, blood vessels and glands) and benign or malignant.

Metastatic brain tumors include tumors that arise elsewhere in the body (such as the breast or lungs) and migrate to the brain, usually through the bloodstream. Metastatic tumors are considered cancer and are malignant. The surgical procedure is performed for brain tumors that can be removed without resulting in severe damage. A large number of non-cancerous (benign) tumors can only be removed by surgery. However, cancerous (malignant) tumor may require additional treatment apart from surgery like chemotherapy or radiation therapy. The aim of the surgery is to remove the tumor as much as possible and also reducing its symptoms so as to improve the quality of life.

Brain Surgery Procedures

Brain is the organ that has a control over various organs of the body. Since it is a vital organ, therefore, the complications related to it are also not so easy to be resolved. Brain tumors, cerebral aneurysms and brain hemorrhage are some of the conditions in which a patient might have to go for a brain surgery.

There are different types of brain surgery which are dependent on the type and location of the tumor. This is mainly performed on the patients to treat any type of lesions or damage in the part of brain. Sometime patient do also get the nearby area damaged. So along with treating the damaged part the surgeons do also care for the surrounding damage while they do brain surgery. There are many surgical procedures for brain tumors are:

Biopsy - it basically takes a sample of a brain tissue for diagnosing several conditions such as brain cancer. Biopsy can also be used for determining the presence of inflammation or infection in the brain. Usually the sample taken from the brain is small. A biopsy can also be done along with an autopsy for studying brain abnormalities and medical conditions.

Craniotomy - the term Craniotomy means cutting into the head. A craniotomy is a type of surgical procedure where a bone flap is removed for a temporary period in order to access the brain. This procedure is meant for those people who are suffering from traumatic brain injury or brain lesions and it may also enable a doctor to implant deep brain stimulators for treating epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and cerebellar tremor.

Mapping - mapping is basically done for knowing the function of the different parts of the brain near the surgical site. Mapping can be done in different ways. Some do not require opening of the head while others can be done at the time of surgery. They involve -

Using special MRI techniques like functional MRI

Stimulation of the brain tissue is done with the help of tiny electrical currents

Probing the brain with special computerized wands

The brain waves are measured while stimulating

Magnetoencephalogram (MEG) is used to localize sensory, language and motor function

Ultrasound probes are used near or inside brain structures

Position emission tomography (PET) or single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)

Shunts - an increasing pressure inside the brain is very fatal and can impair brain functions. This problem can be easily treated with the help of a shunt. Microsurgery is also one of the brain surgery procedures.