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What are the most common reasons for neurosurgery?

There are four main situations that lead to the majority of neurosurgery appointments: having a device implanted in the brain, removing a tumor from the brain, treating trauma to the brain, and for the evaluation of severe chronic back pain that may require spinal surgery. 

Devices in the brain

There are several devices that can be implanted in or near the brain which help to manage chronic diseases. An excess of fluid in the brain (hydrocephalus) is treated with the placement of drains. People with severe neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s can benefit from deep brain stimulators, which are electrical devices that help to “drown out” abnormal signals in the brain. 

Tumors in the brain

Neurosurgeons are best known for the removal of tumors in and around the brain. The most common of these tumors are benign, meaning that they do not spread. However, these tumors can compress the brain and cause issues unless they are removed. Neurosurgeons can also remove certain forms of brain cancer (tumors that spread). This may not cure the cancer but can add many years to a patient’s life. 

Trauma to the brain

Severe trauma to the head can cause the brain to swell. This swelling can damage the brain by pushing it against the skull, putting pressure on the delicate brain tissue. A neurosurgeon can cut away parts of the skull temporarily to allow this swelling to occur without further damaging the brain. They may also drill small holes in the skull to drain blood collections that are leading to compression of the brain after trauma. 

Severe chronic back pain

Severe and disabling back pain can sometimes be caused by damage to the bones or cartilage of the spine. This can compress the spinal cord or the nerves leaving it which leads to severe pain. If medical treatments, physical therapy, and changes to your lifestyle do not resolve your symptoms, you may need to see a neurosurgeon.

* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

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