Neurosurgeons: What do they Do?
Neurosurgeons are specially trained doctors who diagnose and treat conditions affecting the nervous system – the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. Neurosurgeons are the doctors that perform surgery on the nerves of the brain, spinal cord, and spinal column. To put it simply, a neurologist and neurosurgeon both treat patients for diseases related to their nervous system, but neurologists do not do any surgeries. The biggest difference between a neurology doctor and a neurosurgeon is that the neurologist generally does not do surgery, they almost always diagnose a condition with a number of tests that an affiliated neurosurgeon then uses to best treat that condition with surgical procedures.
Neurologist: What do they do?
When treating the condition, a neurologist will advise a patient to seek surgical intervention from a neurosurgeon, while the neurologist handles the longer-term care. In this situation, if it is necessary for the surgery to improve the condition or to enhance performance, the neurologist will direct you to a neurosurgeon. In most cases, a primary care physician or your neurologist will refer you to see a neurosurgeon if you have a neurological condition that requires or would benefit from a thorough evaluation.
A Neurosurgeon And Neurologist
If the neurologist believes that your condition requires or could benefit from surgery, you will see the neurosurgeon for additional medical consultation and surgical treatment. During the initial appointment, the neurologist will do an initial evaluation, which can involve setting up and evaluating MRI. Once you meet with the neurosurgeon, you will likely have further tests done to determine whether or not you need surgery. The best neurosurgeon in Mumbai will do the surgery, and oversee the follow-up, and your care will continue with the neurologist to provide long-term care.
When a surgical procedure is needed, like a brain tumor, neurologists and neurosurgeons can work together; for example, a neurologist can refer a patient to a neurosurgeon for surgical treatment. Neurosurgeons are typically referred to the patient by the patient’s neurologist, and the two doctors usually work very closely together in treating the patient. When a patient has a neurological disorder, his or her neurologist will consult with the other doctors involved in treating the patient and will suggest surgical intervention, as needed. Both the brain surgeon and neurologist may order these tests and other procedures in order to properly diagnose and treat a neurological condition.
Neurologists are focused more on managing or correcting chronic conditions that do not require surgery, whereas neurosurgeons are focused on issues that do require surgical intervention, and they can treat patients with more complicated neurological conditions. There are disorders or problems that do not require a neurosurgeon’s attention, wherein the patient will be treated by a neurologist. For example, Alzheimer’s — is not a medical condition a neurosurgeon would be able to treat, but neurologists will assess these types of conditions. When the diagnosis finds the physical cause for a neurological condition, a neurosurgeon usually can do a surgical procedure to remove or repair the condition, usually leading to dramatic improvements in a patient’s condition.
If an Atlanta neurology doctor finds a diagnosis that might require surgery, he or she will direct you to a neurosurgeon in order to remove or correct the condition or to improve your results. Neurologists may also refer patients to neurosurgeons for consultation and treatment of structural problems, such as a tumor or brain or spinal abnormality. For the case of neurologists versus neurosurgeons, both health professionals may perform sophisticated neurologic tests, such as electroencephalograms, and magnetic resonance imaging, but only the neurosurgeons may use the reports for surgical intervention to cure a condition, whereas neurologists may only prescribe medications for its treatment, or refer a patient to the neurosurgeon to receive additional treatments. Neurosurgeons also may work together with other members of a health care team to deliver non-surgical treatment of various neurological disorders that involve the brain, spine, and peripheral nervous systems, such as chronic pain and neuropathy caused by diseases like diabetes.
Neurologists and neurosurgeons both specialize in treating conditions related to the brain, spine, and nervous system, but the two specialties follow distinct paths to providing care to people with a long list of neurological disorders, from multiple sclerosis and epilepsy to brain tumors and spinal cord injuries. By the definition from the American Academy of Neurology, a neurologist is a physician who specializes in diagnosing, treating, and managing conditions in the brain and nervous system. A neurologist is a medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing, treating, and providing long-term function-related management. The American College of Surgeons defines a neurosurgeon as a medical doctor who diagnoses and treats conditions in the brain, spine, and nervous system using both surgical and nonsurgical treatments, depending on the specifics of an injury or disease.
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In addition, because the nervous system stretches from the brain down the spine, with nerves extending throughout the body, neurosurgeons treat conditions presenting symptoms in a single part of your body, which are in fact related to problems in the central nervous system. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), they generally spend much more time treating spinal conditions and procedures compared to brain conditions and procedures. Neurosurgeons usually work in hospitals, and they might only be around patients for a short period after a patient is discharged. Because of neurosurgeons’ broad range of skills, neurosurgeons are frequently relied on by primary care physicians, emergency room physicians, and neurologists for patients with complex medical problems.
Final words
Neurosurgeons also collaborate with other specialists, such as neurologists, radiologists, and cardiologists, when needed, to plan and conduct surgeries, as well as to ensure appropriate postoperative care. A neurosurgeon is a specialist in the field of neurosurgery that specializes in treating brain, spinal cord, neck/back, and a wide variety of other neurological conditions, such as Parkinsons disease, trigeminal neuralgia, head injuries, etc. A neurosurgeon is capable of performing brain and spinal cord surgeries, while a neurologist is generally unable to. Many neurologist fields overlap with those of neurosurgeons to some extent; for example, a neurologist may work together with a neurosurgeon on a patient who has epilepsy, referring them to a neurosurgeon if the patient might benefit from the surgery. A GP may refer to a neurologist if he/she believes an individual is showing signs of neurologic problems.