What do Neurology Surgeons do?

Neurology surgeons, also known as neurosurgeons, are professionals who provide surgical services on the nervous system or the brain. The neurology surgeon's day is spent in consultation with patients, planning surgeries, reviewing data, performing surgery, and providing follow-up care. Neurology surgeons have very difficult jobs that involve treating head injuries, spinal injuries, and other conditions that could affect those systems.

Neurology surgeons may deal with victims of disease, or dealing with trauma patients. Neurology surgeons are called upon to help those with brain or spinal tumors. Whether these growths are cancerous or benign, they can still cause significant problems, up to and including death. Trauma can also be a very big problem, depending on the severity. These surgeons may be called upon at a minute's notice.

In most cases, neurology surgeons treat patients who have had some kind of head or back trauma. Therefore, they could be in very highly stressful situations requiring quick action. The evaluation, diagnosis, and surgery all may happen within minutes of each other. The main concern for a neurology trauma is to relieve any pressure in the brain that may be building up from trapped fluid, such as blood. Once that is relieved, there may be some other issues that need taken care of. These will likely be handled by a non-trauma neurologist.

Other neurology surgeons may work to take care of tumors, or even fuse backs and necks back together. For those who are having follow-up treatment after being seen by a trauma surgeon, there still could be many questions that need to be answered. Some still may not have use of their extremities after a serious accident. The surgeon will assess these issues, determine if restoration of movement is possible through repair of the injured area, and come up with a treatment plan. For tumors, the most important thing to do is to remove them before they can become a major problem.

Once removed, the neurology surgeon may work very closely with an oncologist, especially if the tumor is deemed cancerous. In some cases, if the tumor is removed early enough, there may be little concern of new growth. In other cases, regrowth could be a possibility. If the tumor is in a spot that it cannot be removed, the neurology surgeon may be able to offer treatment that will prolong life or at least make the patient more comfortable. This is something else that can be discussed with the patient.