What is vascular neurosurgery?
Vascular neurosurgery refers to the treatment and management of diseases of the blood vessels that supply the brain and deals primarily with stroke care. Vascular neurosurgery is used to treat conditions like aneurysms as well as other vascular malformations in the veins and lymph vessels. Patients with blood vessel problems in the brain and spine are treated with vascular neurosurgery. This necessitates the use of highly experienced neurosurgeons with prior experience treating these conditions. Developing a treatment plan with the neurosurgeon, interventional radiologist, and neuroradiologist often necessitates a multi-disciplinary approach. Your neurosurgeon will discuss surgical alternatives with you depending on the type of vascular disease you have. A craniotomy or neck surgery, endovascular intervention, or radiosurgery may be required. With advancements in technology and microsurgical procedures, minimally invasive craniotomies may be an option in some circumstances, resulting in a shorter hospital stay and quicker recovery.
Vascular neurosurgery treats:
What is a craniotomy? A craniotomy is a kind of brain surgery that involves making an incision in the scalp, followed by a hole in the skull. This procedure can be conducted in order to clip an aneurysm, among other things. It is typically performed by removing a piece of bone from the skull and pulling back the membrane that covers the brain so that the surgeon can access and work on the brain tissue. After the brain surgery, the bone is put back in place before the scalp is stitched or stapled back together.
What is a cerebral aneurysm? A brain aneurysm is a weak part of a blood vessel that becomes enlarged with time. MRI tests can help doctors to detect and diagnose aneurysms. Depending on the accessibility of the aneurysm, it may be possible to remove it surgically.
FAQ:
Neurosurgical procedures typically take between three and seven hours.
Recovery takes approximately one to two weeks.
General anaesthesia is typically administered.
I am a qualified neurosurgeon following my pre- and postgraduate studies at the University of Stellenbosch and currently have private practices at Netcare N1 City, which caters for the northern suburbs of Cape Town and Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital, which caters for the west coast of Cape Town and Western Cape.
Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital
Tel: +27 (0)21 554 0779 / Fax: +27 (0)21 554 2144
Email: bbhinfo@capeneurospine.co.za
Netcare N1 City Hospital
Tel: 021 595 4633 / Fax: 021-595 3446
Email: info@capeneurospine.co.za