Neurosurgery

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Neurosurgery deals with the diagnosis and operative treatment of diseases, malformations and injuries of the central and peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system (CNS) includes the brain and spinal cord, the peripheral nervous system includes the nerve tracts that run from the spinal cord to all parts of the body.

Diseases of the nervous system that neurosurgeons deal with include cerebral haemorrhage, vascular occlusions in the brain, tumors in the brain or spinal cord, contusions of the spinal cord caused by tumors or herniated discs, traumatic brain injuries, malformations of the nervous system and hydrocephalus.

The neurosurgeons also often take care of functional disorders in the nervous system such as epilepsy, pain and movement disorders.

Last but not least, so-called psychosurgery also falls into their field of work: with reversible, non-destructive interventions on the brain, the main aim is to alleviate depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder if these cannot be adequately treated with medication. For example, a brain pacemaker is used in the patient. In the past, destructive interventions were carried out on the brain for this purpose, for example cutting certain nerve tracts. Nowadays this is no longer done because the success of the therapy is very uncertain and serious complications can occur.

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