Aneurysm – a balloon like structure on the side of a blood vessel. Aneurysms usually develop where blood vessels divide into two vessels. The risk of rupture is associated with their location, size, and history of aneurysm rupture. Smoking and high blood pressure may be associated with the formation of aneurysms. Treatment is endovascular coiling or craniotomy clipping of the aneurysm. Both achieve a final goal of decreasing or eliminating the risk of rupture. Craniotomy – an operation on the head which entails cutting bone to perform surgery on the brain. The skull bone flap is returned to the normal position to cover the brain with a titanium mini-plating system. Craniectomy – an operation on the head which entails cutting bone to perform surgery on the brain. The skull bone flap is intentionally not returned, to allow for brain swelling. A second surgery is scheduled after proper healing to return a boneplate to the skull. Disc – the cushion between the vertebral bodies. Discectomy – surgery that's performed to partially or completely remove disc material. The goal of this operation is to take pressure off the nerves or spinal cord, and eliminate abnormal symptoms such as pain. When the disc wall tears, it can herniate; a fragment of tissue from within the disc moves to an abnormal location outside of the disc, placing pressure on the nerve. Meningioma – a tumor of the lining of the brain called the meninges. This type of tumor is usually benign, and can press against the brain to cause a variety of symptoms. Surgery and radiosurgery are two treatment options to control this type of tumor. Spinal decompression – Pain, numbness, weakness, or incontinence can occur when nerves or spinal cord are under abnormal amounts of pressure. Surgery can be performed to take the pressure off the nerves or spinal cord to improve one’s quality of life. Pressure can be caused by bone spurs, overgrown tissue, or disc bulges. Surgical treatment consists of removing these troublesome tissues in order to give nerves and the spinal cord more room. Often the nerves will heal themselves if pressure is eliminated, and pain will resolve, allowing patients the chance to return to work and lead a much improved quality of life. Spinal fusion – Fusion is the process of causing bones to grow together after surgery is performed. The goal of a fusion is usually to decrease pain and improve overall function and quality of life. Hardware such as titanium screws and rods may be used to situate bones to achieve a fusion. The process of fusion within the body can take several months to heal. |