What are the Subspecialties of Neurosurgery?

Neurological disorders and injuries affect millions of people globally. Conditions like stroke, epilepsy, and neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, are widespread. An estimated population of 13.8 million people require surgical procedures for various disorders of the spine and brain.

Neurosurgery is a branch of medical science dealing with diagnoses and treatment of disorders of the nervous system, which consists of the spinal canal, brain, peripheral nerves, and cerebrovascular system of the body. This article discusses different neurosurgery specialties and helps you decide the right specialist for you.

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Who is a Neurosurgeon?

A neurosurgeon is a healthcare professional specializing in surgical interventions on the brain and nervous system. They treat disorders of the skull, spinal discs, nerves, blood vessels, vertebrae, and brain and spine protective membranes.

You can consult a neurosurgeon for conditions like –

• Brain tumor
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Chronic back and neck pain
• Herniated disks
• Congenital brain and spine disorders
• Multiple sclerosis
• Parkinson's disease
• Sciatica
• Spinal fractures

It is necessary to select the best neurosurgeon for an accurate diagnosis and high-quality treatment. The neurosurgeons in India, Turkey, Germany, Thailand, and the UAE are skilled and trained in handling complex cases. Consult these specialists to get patient-centric care.

Which Subspecialties Comes Under the Field of Neurosurgery?

Neurosurgery is a vast medical field. Standard procedures under neurosurgery are endoscopic surgery, minimally invasive surgery, microsurgery, radiosurgery, endovascular surgery, etc.

Since the brain and spinal cord are complex body organs, neurosurgeons undergo extensive training under various subspecialties to gain expertise in particular disorders and procedures.

Major subspecialties of neurosurgery are –

• Functional Neurosurgery: It is a form of neurosurgery that targets the brain's structures responsible for physical impulses. It focuses on the treatment of chronic neurological and movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, Tourette's syndrome, epilepsy, and cerebral palsy. Functional neurosurgery aims to improve the patient's living condition by restoring neurological function.
• Cerebrovascular Surgery: Also known as neurovascular surgery, this subspecialty deals with disorders of the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain. A cerebrovascular surgeon addresses conditions such as aneurysms, hemorrhages, vascular malformations, carotid stenosis, strokes, vascular brain tumors, etc.
• Endovascular Surgery and Neuroradiology: Endovascular neurosurgery utilizes catheters and radiology to diagnose and manage central nervous system disorders. Common procedures under endovascular neurosurgery are thrombolytic therapy, endovascular coiling, minimally invasive spine surgery, cerebral angiography, carotid artery angiography/stenting, etc.
• Neuro-oncology: This subspecialty of neurosurgery specifically deals with central nervous system tumors, including gliomas, meningioma, vestibular schwannoma, CNS lymphoma, metastatic disease to the brain and spine, or primary spinal cord tumors. A craniotomy is a common procedure to treat brain tumors in which a skilled neuro-onco surgeon cuts open a part of the skull to access the brain and remove the tumor.
• Spinal Surgery: Spine surgeons can be either orthopedic or neurosurgeons. A neurosurgeon specializing in spine surgeries performs procedures inside the lining of the spinal canal. They treat conditions like spinal cord tumors, syringomyelia, and Chiari malformation. A neuro spine surgeon also identifies and treats spinal injuries through surgical processes.
• Pediatric Neurosurgery: Neurosurgeons specializing in treating disorders of infants and children come under the pediatric neurosurgery subspecialty. Some of the conditions pediatric neurosurgeons treat are epilepsy, brain tumors, hydrocephalus, facial malformations, craniosynostosis, and tethered cord syndrome. Different symptoms that might warrant a consultation with a pediatric neurosurgeon are –
  • Muscle rigidity, tremors, or seizures
  • Increase or lack of growth in head size
  • Lack of coordination
  • Delayed development
  • Changes in mood or level of consciousness

To Conclude

Neurosurgery is a broad branch of medical science that is not just limited to brain surgery. There are various subspecialties in neurosurgery, such as neuro-oncology, pediatric neurosurgery, functional neurosurgery, endovascular neurosurgery, spine surgery, and cerebrovascular neurosurgery. It is necessary to know about these subspecialties to get a tailor-made treatment plan for a particular neurological disease.