Sacred Heart Services Neuroscience Neurosurgery
Sacred Heart_Neurosurgery sub-page_doctor looking to left while in operation

Neurological and Spinal Surgery

 

About Neurosurgery

HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital is equipped with advanced technology to ensure the best neurosurgical care of our patients, including the BrainLAB image-guided navigation system which allows our surgeons to minimize incisions and risk of complications.
 

Neurosurgery: Diagnostics

 

If you are referred to the Neurosciences Center, your physicians will order one or more diagnostic tests to better analyze your condition and determine the best treatment options for you. The following are descriptions of some of the most common diagnostic tests that our surgeons use for evaluating patients.

Angiogram - A type of x-ray test that determines whether a blood vessel is diseased, narrowed, enlarged or blocked.

Carotid Ultrasound - A non-invasive test that evaluates the blood flow through the carotid arteries in your neck.

Cervical or Lumbar Myelograms - An x-ray examination of the neck or the lower back.

Computed Tomography (CT) - A two-dimensional computerized map of the body. The x-ray beams can detect the density of an organ or of the bones. This imaging can help to diagnose a variety of injuries and disorders.  Our hospital is the only one in the region to offer Dual Source CT and intra-operative CT Smart OR®— both of which are the very latest advance in clinical CT technology.

Discogram - A study of the discs that are the cushions between the bones of the spine.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - This test uses a combination of a large magnet, radio frequencies and a computer to produce detailed images of organs and structures within the body. Our hospital offers 3.0 Tesla MRI and intra-operative MRI Smart OR®— the very latest advance in clinical MRI technology.

Procedures: The Brain

 

  • Brain Biopsy—a procedure used to detect tumors, infection or certain other diseases.

  • ​Craniotomy—is a temporary surgical opening in part of the skull and is used to perform resections of brain lesions and treat hemorrhagic stroke when conservative measures fail.

  • Tumor Embolization—before surgery, some tumors need to undergo a procedure called embolization, in which large blood vessels supplying the tumor with blood are blocked off.

  • Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt—performed on patients who suffer from a condition where there is an excessive build-up of fluid in the cavities of the brain.

Procedures: The Spine

 

  • Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion—performed to relieve the pressure on the spinal cord or nerves that occurs for various reasons such as herniated discs, narrowing of the spinal cord, nerve irritation, and spinal compression.

  • Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion—performed for those people suffering from chronic back or leg pain.

  • Anterior/Posterior Lumbar Fusion—primarily performed for people suffering irritation of the sciatic nerve.

  • Cervical Laminectomy—used to relieve pressure on one or more nerves in the neck.

  • Lumbar Laminectomy—used to relieve pressure on one or more nerves in the lower back.

  • Microdiscectomy—performed to remove herniated or bulging disc material through a small incision in the lower back.

Other Procedures

 

Carpal Tunnel Release—performed when symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome become so severe that they restrict daily activities.