BRAIN
Procedures &
Specialty Programs
In addition to our skills at a wide variety of procedures, we have also pioneered select specialty programs. The links above detail more about the leading position we take in these highly specialized programs.
CRANIAL
Brain Mapping: Using a functional MRI to watch the brain at work, mapping the brain regions involved in a specific kind of memory activity.
Craniotomy: The surgical removal of a section of bone (called a "flap") from the skull used to relieve pressure and decrease ICP (intracranial pressure).
Endoscopic Surgery: A surgical technique that inserts a tube with a lens and light source to look into a body cavity through a small opening. Endoscopes look like small telescopes but are actually more like small microscopes since they allow illumination and visualization of objects up close. Endoscopes may be introduced into the brain through small holes (as little as 3 millimeters). Tiny instruments can then be placed through the same hole as the endoscope to treat hydrocephalus, drain cysts and biopsy tumors.
Microvascular Decompression: A neurosurgical procedure used to treat trigeminal neuralgia. Microvascular decompression (MVD) surgery is performed under general anesthesia, through an incision and small thumbprint- sized bony opening made just behind the ear (craniotomy). The surgeon peers into the opening through an operative microscope, looks around the cerebellum (a structure of the brain) and visualizes the trigeminal nerve as it arises from the brain stem (the trigeminal nerve root entry zone). The aim of MVD surgery is to alleviate neurovascular compression upon the trigeminal nerve root. This permits the trigeminal nerve nucleus to recover from its state of hyperactivity and return to a normal, pain free condition. Micro-instruments are used to mobilize the offending vessels away from the trigeminal nerve root. The decompression is permanently maintained by implants that are positioned between the offending vessels and nerve.
Posterior Fossa Craniotomy: Surgical opening of the skull performed in the sub-occipital area of the skull (the rear portion of the skull) below the tentorium (a tent-like fibrous structure that separates the cerebellum from the rest of the brain).
Pterional Craniotomy: The most common type of craniotomy (opening of the skull) performed. This approach is used for the surgical treatment of a variety of aneurysms and tumors.
Radiosurgery: Non-invasive brain surgery performed by directing beams of non-ionizing radiation on a specific portion(s) of the brain to destroy lesions (i.e. Novalis). This treatment is very effective for certain types of lesions, such as metastases to the brain (tumors which have spread from other parts of the body), meningiomas (benign tumors of the brain), acoustic neuromas (tumors of the hearing nerve), and arteriovenous malformations (blood vessel malformations). Radiosurgery allows the targeted location to receive a very large amount of radiation while limiting exposure to the remainder of the brain.
Stereotactic Biopsy: A minimally invasive surgical procedure that involves the creation of a small hole in the skull. A biopsy needle is passed through, under computer guidance, to obtain a small sample(s) of tissue within the brain that has the potential for existing tumor or infection. Stereotactic neurosurgery involves mapping the brain in a three-dimensional coordinate system. With the help of MRI, CT scans, and 3D computer workstations, neurosurgeons are able to accurately target any area of the brain in stereotactic space (3D coordinate system). The procedure is a blind one in the sense that the surgeon does not see the tumor, but relies on a computer guidance system to verify that he/she is in the correct position.
Stereotactic Craniotomy: A craniotomy that utilizes a precise method of locating brain structures using three-dimensional coordinates (mapping). Uses images as a guide to the targeted surgical area.
Transphenoidal Resection: A procedure removing smaller pituitary tumors through the nose and sinuses. The incision is made in the gums (above the center teeth), then dissection is performed through the deep nasal passages to and through the sphenoid sinus (therefore the name transsphenoidal).
Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt: Ventriculoperitoneal shunt is a surgery performed to relieve intracranial (inside the skull) pressure caused by hydrochephalus (water on the brain). The fluid is shunted from the ventricles of the brain into the abdominal cavity or in rare instances, into the pleural space in the chest.
Unless noted otherwise, all articles and graphics Copyright ©2008 Medtronic Sofamor Danek. All rights reserved.
