Neurosurgeon

Neurological surgery is a specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of patients with injury to or diseases of the brain, spine, or peripheral nerves.  Neurosurgery is more than just brain surgery; it is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system.

Because neurosurgeons have extensive training in the diagnosis of all neurological diseases, they are often called upon by emergency room doctors, neurologists, internists, family practitioners, and osteopaths for consultations.

Commonly treated diseases:

• Head and spine trauma
• Cerebrovascular disorders
• Brain aneurysms
• Stenosis of arteries
• Brain arteriovenous malformations (AVM)
• Chronic low back pain
• Birth defects
• Brain and spinal tumors
• Abnormalities of the peripheral nerves (face, arms, legs, hands and feet)

When to call a neurosurgeon:

• Issues with the wound site after surgery
• Issues/concerns with medications prescribed by the neurosurgeon

Interventional Neuroradiologist

Interventional neuroradiologist or Neurointerventional radiologist, is a physician who specializes in minimally invasive image-based technologies and procedures used in diagnosis.

This type of radiologist uses image guidance methods to gain access to vessels and organs.  An Interventional Neuroradiologist is a licensed Medical Doctor (MD) or Doctor of Osteopath (OD).

NeuroInterventional Radiologists treat certain conditions by way of a catheter through the vessels in the body.  They enter through the femoral artery (largest artery in the body) and work their way up to the brain.  This type of intervention includes the use of balloons, catheters, micro catheters, stents, and therapeutic embolization (deliberately clogging up a blood vessel).

NeuroInterventional Radiology is practiced by Neurosurgeons and Neurologists as well.

Commonly treated diseases are:

• Cerebral aneurysms
• Brain arteriovenous malformations (AVM)
• Dural arteriovenous fistulas
• Acute ischemic thrombi-embolic stroke
• Intracranial and extra cranial atherosclerotic stenosis
• Carotid and vertebral artery injuries
• Epistaxis

When to call an Interventional Neuroadiologist:

• Severe headaches after an elective procedure
• Vision disturbances after a procedure
• Issues with strength in limbs after a procedure

Neurologist

A neurologist is a medical doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating, and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system.  Neurologists can be principal care providers or consultants to other physicians.  When a patient has a neurological disorder that requires frequent care, a neurologist is often the principal care provider.  In a consulting role, a neurologist will diagnose and treat a neurological disorder and then advise the primary care physician managing the patient’s overall health.

For example, a neurologist would act in a consulting role for conditions such as stroke, concussion, or headache.  Neurologists can recommend surgical treatment but do not perform surgery.  When treatment includes surgery, neurologists will monitor surgically treated patients and supervise their continuing treatment.

Commonly treated diseases:

• Stroke
• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Headache, Epilepsy
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Sleep disorders
• Peripheral nervous disorders
• Head pain
• Tremor issues
• Brain and spinal cord injuries
• Brain tumors
• Mutiplie Sclerosis
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

When to call a Neurologist:

• Headaches that will not resolve with medication
• Balance issues
• Memory difficulties

Neuropsychologist

Neuropsychologists work in any of a variety of settings – depending on their specialty, and what they are researching.  They may perform research, publish, and teach at colleges and universities.  Some work in clinical settings helping to treat and assess patients with neuropsychological problems.  A neuropsychologist studies the cognitive functions of the brain such as attention, language, and memory.

Commonly treated diseases:

• Memory difficulties
• Mood disturbances
• Learning difficulties
• Nervous system dysfunction

When to call a Neuropsychologist:

• Anger/mood issues after surgery
• Feeling of helplessness

Primary Care Provider

A primary care provider or PCP is a physician or internist who is closed by an individual to provide continuous medical care.  A PCP is trained to treat a wide variety of health-related problems and is responsible for referrals to specialists as needed.  A PCP is the first health professional to examine a patient and can recommend secondary care physicians, medical, or surgical specialists with expertise in the patient’s specific health problem,if further treatment is needed.

It is important to have a PCP to monitor all of your health care needs.  Many times the specialists will refer patients back to their PCP for routine medical issues such as headaches, high blood pressure, and medication management to name a few.