Non-Operative Management
Care may include prevention, diagnosis, image interpretation, treatment planning, neurocritical intensive care, rehabilitation, and other non-surgical approaches when appropriate.
Patient Resources
What Is Neurosurgery?
An overview of the medical discipline and surgical specialty of neurological surgery.
Definition
Care for the brain, spine, nerves, supporting structures, and vascular supply.
According to the American Board of Neurological Surgery, neurological surgery is a medical discipline and surgical specialty that provides care for adult and pediatric patients in the treatment of pain or pathological processes that may modify the function or activity of the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, autonomic nervous system, the supporting structures of these systems, and their vascular supply.
This includes structures such as the brain, hypophysis, spinal cord, cranial nerves, spinal nerves, peripheral nerves, meninges, skull, skull base, vertebral column, and intracranial, extracranial, and spinal vasculature.
Scope of Care
Neurosurgical treatment includes operative and non-operative management.
Operative Management
Surgical care may include image use and interpretation, endovascular surgery, functional and restorative surgery, stereotactic radiosurgery, spinal fusion, and spinal instrumentation.
This page is educational and summarizes the scope of neurosurgery. It is not medical advice and does not replace individualized evaluation by a qualified clinician.