Neurosurgery

Neurosurgery provides advanced treatments for a wide range of conditions impacting the brain, spine and nervous system. Your care plan is tailored to your unique needs to ensure the best possible outcomes. At Tufts Medicine, we work together to guide you through the entire process, providing expert care and support every step of the way. We offer a wide range of surgical treatment options, including:

• Brain tumor resection: This surgery removes benign or malignant brain tumors. It can be done through open surgery or minimally invasive techniques, depending on the size and location of the tumor.
• Cerebrospinal fluid shunting: This procedure places a tube to divert excess cerebrospinal fluid, used for conditions like hydrocephalus or certain brain injuries to relieve pressure and prevent further complications.
• Cervical discectomy and fusion: This surgery removes a damaged disc in the neck and fuses the adjacent vertebrae. It’s used to treat nerve compression, herniated discs or degenerative disc disease, relieving pain and improving function.
• Chiari malformation surgery: When part of the brain extends into the spinal canal, this surgery relieves pressure and restores normal brain and spinal cord function, improving symptoms like headaches and neck pain.
• Coiling (endovascular treatment for brain aneurysms): A minimally invasive procedure where a small coil is placed inside a brain aneurysm to prevent it from rupturing. Often done through a small catheter, this technique avoids open brain surgery, reduces recovery time and lowers complication risk.
• Craniotomy: This procedure removes part of the skull to access the brain. It’s used to remove brain tumors, treat brain injuries or address bleeding or swelling. The skull is replaced after the surgery.
• Deep brain stimulation (DBS): For conditions like Parkinson’s disease or essential tremor, DBS involves implanting electrodes in the brain to help regulate abnormal activity. This minimally invasive procedure is used when medications no longer work, improving quality of life for many.
• Epilepsy surgery: Options like the NeuroPace RNS System (an implantable device to control brain activity), temporal lobectomy (removal of part of the brain to stop seizures) and vagus nerve stimulators (VNS) help control seizures and improve quality of life for those who haven't found relief with medications.
• Foramenotomy: This surgery removes bone around a nerve root in the spine, commonly used to treat conditions like spinal stenosis or herniated discs. It helps relieve pressure on nerves and reduce pain or weakness.
• Functional neurosurgery: For complex conditions like epilepsy or brain tumors, we use stereotactic radiosurgery, which targets tumors with precise radiation, and functional mapping to guide surgery for epilepsy patients, providing effective solutions when other treatments don’t work.
• Gamma Knife surgery: This non-invasive procedure uses focused radiation to treat brain and neck tumors without needing cuts. It reduces risks, pain and recovery time.
• Minimally invasive and endoscopic neurosurgery: Techniques like coiling (for brain aneurysms), endoscopic surgery (using a camera to guide procedures) and microsurgery (using tiny instruments for delicate issues) provide less trauma, fewer complications and faster recovery.
• Minimally invasive spine surgery: Techniques like microdiscectomy (removing herniated discs) and laminectomy (relieving pressure on the spinal cord) offer quicker recovery times, less pain and smaller cuts than traditional open surgery.
• Neuro-oncology treatments: We offer specialized treatments for brain tumors, including advanced techniques like molecular profiling, chemotherapy and immunotherapy. We provide personalized, cutting-edge care for patients with benign or malignant brain tumors, improving outcomes and quality of life.
• Neurovascular surgery: This surgery treats brain aneurysms, strokes and other vascular issues in the brain and spinal cord. We use advanced techniques to restore blood flow and prevent life-threatening complications.
• Peripheral nerve surgery: This surgery repairs or decompresses nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, treating conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, nerve injuries or entrapments to restore function and relieve pain.
• Pituitary tumor surgery: For tumors of the pituitary gland, minimally invasive surgery through the nose (endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery) reduces recovery time and complications.
• Skull base surgery: This procedure removes tumors or treats problems at the base of the skull. Using robotic tools and small incisions, we ensure precision and protect nearby tissues.
• Spinal cord injury: Our center offers advanced surgical and rehabilitation-focused treatments for spinal cord injuries. Whether through surgery to relieve pressure or post-surgical rehabilitation, we provide comprehensive care designed to restore function and improve quality of life.
• Spinal cord tumor removal: This surgery removes tumors from the spinal cord. It helps relieve pressure on nerves and improves symptoms like pain, numbness or loss of function.
• Spinal fusion surgery: This procedure fuses two or more vertebrae in the spine to stabilize it. It’s often used for conditions like scoliosis, herniated discs or spinal fractures to reduce pain, improve function and prevent further damage.
• Trauma surgery: We specialize in advanced trauma surgery for traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and spinal cord injuries. Our team uses the latest techniques to treat brain injuries and spinal fractures, providing expert care through every stage of recovery, from surgery to rehabilitation.
• Trigeminal neuralgia surgery: This surgery treats severe facial pain caused by trigeminal neuralgia. Options include microvascular decompression (relieving pressure on the trigeminal nerve) or gamma knife radiosurgery to reduce pain.

After neurosurgery, our team provides thorough follow-up care to monitor recovery. This includes post-operative visits, physical therapy and neurological assessments. Whether you're healing from a brain or spine procedure, we guide you through each phase of recovery to ensure the best possible outcomes, helping you regain function and improve quality of life.

Nonsurgical neurosurgery treatments

Neurosurgery doesn't always mean surgery. In fact, many of our patients find relief through nonsurgical treatments, which we suggest whenever possible. These advanced, non-invasive options allow us to manage a variety of neurological conditions effectively, without the need for surgery. From pain management to improving movement and brain function, our goal is to provide treatments that fit your lifestyle and help you feel your best, with minimal downtime and risk, some options include: 

• Acupuncture: This alternative treatment can help manage chronic pain and improve recovery for neurological conditions. By stimulating certain points on the body, acupuncture may improve blood flow, reduce inflammation and promote healing.
• Botox injections: For conditions like chronic migraines or certain movement disorders (e.g., dystonia), botulinum toxin (Botox) injections can help manage symptoms by blocking nerve signals that cause pain or abnormal muscle movements.
• Corticosteroid injections: Used to reduce inflammation and relieve pain in the spine, joints and other areas affected by nerve compression, conditions like herniated discs, or spinal stenosis. Injections provide targeted relief, often reducing the need for surgery.
• Cryoneurolysis: This procedure uses extreme cold to destroy nerve tissue, offering relief for certain types of chronic pain, such as that from arthritis or nerve compression, without the need for surgery.
• Focused ultrasound (FUS): This non-invasive treatment uses high-frequency sound waves to target specific areas in the brain, treating conditions like essential tremor, Parkinson’s disease or brain tumors without making an incision. FUS is an effective alternative for patients who aren't candidates for traditional surgery.
• Neurostimulation: Techniques like Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) or Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) use electromagnetic pulses or electrical impulses to stimulate the brain or spinal cord. These treatments are often used for chronic pain, depression, and movement disorders, helping reduce symptoms without the need for surgery.
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation: Also known as physiatry, this specialty focuses on the non-surgical management of conditions affecting the nervous system. Physiatrists use a combination of therapies, medications and interventions to improve function, manage pain and restore quality of life without surgery.
• Physical therapy: Specialized physical therapy programs are used to improve strength, flexibility and function for patients with neurological conditions. In some cases, it can reduce the need for surgical intervention, particularly for spinal issues like disc herniation or stenosis.
• Radiofrequency ablation: A minimally invasive procedure where heat is used to target and destroy nerve tissue, providing relief for conditions like trigeminal neuralgia or chronic pain conditions. It can reduce the need for long-term medication and provide effective symptom management.