Dignity Health: Performing Neurosurgery in Arizona
Neurosurgery procedures and tests diagnose, manage, or treat conditions and disorders that affect the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. They may be invasive (s)urgical, minimally invasive, or noninvasive.
Dignity Health offers comprehensive neurosurgery procedures and tests in Arizona, as part of our neurology services. To learn more, Find a Doctor today at Dignity Health.
Why Neurosurgery Procedures & Tests Are Performed
Doctors use neurosurgery procedures and tests to diagnose your nervous system condition and design a treatment plan. Neurology tests may include:
- Comprehensive neurologic exam to evaluate the twelve cranial nerves that serve vital brain functions, as well as motor strength, coordination, balance, and special senses like vision and smell
- Electroencephalogram (EEG) to measure brain waves
- Electromyogram (EMG) to determine how well muscles respond to electrical impulses
- Spinal tap to obtain a sample cerebrospinal fluid to look for infection or evidence of bleeding around the brain, or check for pressure
Some neurosurgery procedures help stop a condition from progressing or may reverse its effect, when possible. Neurosurgery procedures include:
- Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty to treat spinal fractures
- Radiosurgery to treat tumors, abnormal blood vessels, and shrink tissue in the brain in specific areas
- Minimally invasive neurosurgery, such as microcraniotomy or endoscopic neurosurgery, to treat conditions such as hydrocephalus, brain aneurysms, and trigeminal neuralgia
What to Expect at Dignity Health
Doctors may perform neurosurgery procedures and tests in a Dignity Health hospital or specialized center, depending on the extent of the procedure.
Your doctor will give you detailed instructions on what to do before and after the procedure. For example, if you are having an EMG, you may be told not to use any skin creams the day of the test. For certain procedures or tests, you may have to fast (not eat) for several hours before, or you may be told not to take certain medications.
Recovery After a Neurosurgery is Performed
Tests, such as EEGs or EMGs, typically require no recovery time. After a spinal tap, you will be asked to stay flat for a while to reduce the risk of fluid leaking from the area. If you have a surgical procedure with a general anesthesia, you may be kept for several hours or overnight for observation.
You can likely go home within a few hours of a surgical procedure with local anesthesia.
Some test results may take longer than others, but your doctor will share the findings with you when they are available, usually within in a few days.
Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph’s is ranked a top neurological hospital by US News and World Report, offering the latest neurology tests in Arizona.
