GENERAL NEUROSURGERY SERVICES

At UC Irvine Medical Center, our Neurosurgeons provide diagnostic, consultative and therapeutic services to patients with all types of neurological problems for which surgery is indicated. 

When people hear the word neurosurgery, they typically think of brain surgery.  In fact, neurosurgery involves the surgical treatment of the entire nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord as well as its coverings, the scalp, skull and spine. The peripheral nerves that travel throughout the body to the face, arms, hands, legs and feet are also addressed by neurosurgery.

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Conditions treated

Our neurosurgeons are skilled in procedures that can treat a range of neurological disorders and problems, including:

• Epilepsy
• Movement disorders, including Parkinson's disease
• Pain
• Stroke
• Normal pressure hydrocephalus
• Tumors of the brain and spinal cord
• Trauma
• Intracranial aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations and other vascular abnormalities
• Spinal disorders
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Trigeminal neuralgia
• Pediatric injuries, malformations, anomalies and tumors
• Carpal tunnel syndrome and other peripheral nerve disorders

Although surgery may be the best option for some patients, our neurosurgeons focus on the optimal treatment plan for any individual.  For example, back pain may best be treated by anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy and muscle relaxants rather than back surgery.

Procedures

All standard and most advanced neurosurgical procedures are available at UC Irvine Medical Center.  Some of these are:

• Coil embolization of aneurysms
• Cyberknife™ stereotactic radiosurgery for spinal tumors
• Gamma Knife® stereotactic radiosurgery for brain tumors, trigeminal neuralgia and AVMs
• Implantation of deep brain stimulation devices for Parkinson’s disease
• Surgical treatment of trigeminal neuralgia and other cranial nerve syndromes
• Implantation of vagal nerve stimulation devices for intractable epilepsy
• Intraoperative MRI for brain tumors, epilepsy and other disorders
• Microsurgery for AVMs
• Minimally invasive spinal surgery
• Spinal procedures including removal of herniated discs and cervical disc decompression and fusion
• Stent placement to maintain blood flow through carotid arteries
• Surgery for peripheral nerve disorders, e.g. carpel tunnel syndrome
• Surgical resections of the brain for tumors and epilepsy
• Treatment of normal pressure hydrocephalus
• Vertebroplasty for compression fractures from severe osteoporosis
• Skull-based surgery for tumors at the base of the brain

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