Types of Neurosurgery

Neurosurgery is specific to the diagnosis and treatment of conditions that affect the nervous system, including tumors, aneurysms, vascular conditions and stroke.

Neurosurgery is a medical discipline and surgical specialty that focuses on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of injuries and conditions affecting the body’s nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves and cerebrovascular system.

Neurosurgery Subspecialties

Many neurosurgeons specialize in one of the field’s many subdisciplines, such as:

• Functional neurosurgery – Focuses on the treatment of neurological conditions that cause movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and Tourette’s syndrome
• Neuro-oncology – Focuses on the treatment of cancerous brain, spine and skull base tumors
• Neurotraumatology – Focuses on the treatment of brain and spine injuries that result from accidents, falls, collisions and blunt force trauma, such as concussions, skull fractures, traumatic brain injuries, craniofacial trauma, spinal cord injuries and spine fractures
• Neurovascular surgery – Focuses on the treatment of vascular malformations such as aneurysms and narrowed blood vessels in the brain, spine and peripheral nerves
• Pediatric neurosurgery – Focuses on the treatment of children with neurological conditions such as hydrocephalus (excessive fluid in the brain), pediatric brain tumors, malformations of the spinal cord and craniosynostosis (premature fusion of a child’s skull bones)
• Spine surgery – Focuses on the treatment of conditions that affect the inner lining of the spinal canal, such as spinal cord tumors, syringomyelia (fluid-filled cysts) and Chiari malformation (a skull abnormality that allows brain tissue to extend into the spinal canal)

Neurosurgery Techniques

Skull base surgery is a conventional type of neurosurgery that may be considered for treating an aneurysm, a brain or spinal cord tumor, cranial bleeding, a vascular malformation or a complex spinal disorder. Laser ablation is a minimally invasive alternative for treating certain neurological conditions, such as brain tumors, epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease.

As compared to traditional surgery, laser ablation offers several advantages:

• A brain flap (craniotomy) is not required.
• Only the targeted tissue is destroyed; the surrounding healthy tissue is unaffected.
• No radiation is delivered to the brain, so the procedure can be safely repeated as necessary.
• The minimally invasive surgical approach can minimize pain, complications, scarring, hospitalization and recovery time.

Effective Neurosurgery at TGH

Tampa General Hospital (TGH) is equipped with a state-of-the-art intraoperative MRI surgical suite. During and after surgery, our neurosurgeons have access to high-resolution, real-time images of the brain, allowing them to operate with an unprecedented level of precision and provide excellent outcomes. Tampa General Hospital has earned “high performing” designation for Neurology & Neurosurgery by U.S. News & World Report for 2023-24, meaning we are ranked among the top 10% of in the nation.