Neurological Surgery

What is neurological surgery?

Neurological surgery, also called neurosurgery, is the branch of medicine that provides both operative and non-operative management of disorders that affect the central and peripheral nervous systems, including their supportive structures and vascular supply, and the operative and non-operative management of pain.

Neurological surgery encompasses disorders of the brain, spine, and nerves, including the following:

• the extracranial and intracranial carotid and vertebral arteries
• disorders of the pituitary gland
• tumors in and around the brain
• disorders of the spinal cord, meninges, and spine, including those which may require treatment by removing or replacing intervertebral discs, spinal fusion, or instrumentation
• disorders of the peripheral nerves
• disorders of the autonomic nervous system

The surgeon who specializes in neurological surgery is called a neurosurgeon or neurological surgeon.