Brain Surgery: Part 1

 

Performed by a neurosurgeon, involving a physician anesthesiologist with extensive knowledge in the field, brain surgery is used to treat a variety of conditions such as tumors, blood clots, aneurysms, epilepsy and parkinson's disease.  An extensive knowledge about the types of anesthesia, monitoring and post-operative care is required for these operations, since it happens to be quite sensitive. In some cases, these physician anesthesiologists will be neuro anesthesiologists who have received advanced clinical training in anesthesia for brain and spinal surgeries. 

According to information by the National Cancer Institute, some of the most common operations involving brain or areas around it include-

1. Craniotomy: A piece of skull is removed by the doctors to get access to the brain for the removal of brain tumor, abnormal tissue, blood or blood clots; or to relieve pressure after an injury or stroke, repair a brain aneurysm or skull fractures, so on and so forth. The piece of skull is operated back after the procedure.

2. Biopsy: Typically done after the detection of a potential abnormality, biopsies involve a surgeon making an incision in the skull or inserting a needle to remove brain cells or tissues for a pathological examination.

3. Deep brain stimulation (DBS): It refers to a battery-operated medical device, known as an implanted pulse generator, which is implanted to deliver electrical simulation to specific areas in the brain. This treatment is usually used for movement disorders such as parkinson’s diseases.

4. Neuroendoscopy: A rather minimal invasive technique, it involves threading a thin tube called an endoscope through the mouth, nose or small incisions in the skull to access or remove brain tissue. A light and camera is attached on the end of the endoscope and the surgery is performed with tools placed through the endoscope. Endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery, also referred to as endoscopic pituitary surgery, is one of the types of neuroendoscopy  and involves the threading the endoscope through the nose to remove brain tumors and lesions near the pituitary gland situated just behind the bridge of the nose.

A senior neurosurgeon of international repute with excellent management skills and one of the Best Neurosurgeons in Kolkata, Dr. Kaushik Sil has over 16 years of experience in treating complex Brain and Spine problems like brain tumours, spinal disc prolapse, brain stroke, subdural hematoma, spinal deformity with a special interest in childhood neurosurgical problems like hydrocephalus and spinal birth defects. His simple guidance and high success in treatment rates is immaculate.