National Neurosurgery Awareness Week Kicks Off During 72nd Annual Meeting

Newswise — The First Annual Neurosurgery Awareness Week kicks off this year from May 1 to May 6 during the 72nd Annual Meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) in Orlando, Florida. Over 2,800 neurosurgical medical professionals will meet in Orlando to further their continuing medical education in specialty areas including trauma, pain, tumor, cerebrovascular, spine and peripheral nerves, stereotactic, and pediatrics. The awareness week is designed to further educate the public about neurosurgery. Whether it's low back pain, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, carpal tunnel syndrome, or brain tumors, Neurosurgery Awareness week will help people understand when it is time to see a neurosurgeon for treatment.

When people hear the word "neurosurgeon," most think "brain surgeon." Neurosurgeons do operate on the brain, but they actually spend about 70 percent of their time treating spine problems.

Neurosurgeons are medical specialists who diagnose and treat the entire nervous system. They treat disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and spinal column, plus the nerves that travel through all parts of the body such as the hands, legs, arms and face. They routinely see patients for low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, epilepsy, stroke, Parkinson's disease, sciatica, pinched nerves in the neck, sports injuries, chronic pain, and a host of other ailments.

In 1999, the AANS, a scientific and educational association for neurosurgeons, completed a statistical study that highlighted the range of neurosurgeons' expertise. The types of surgical procedures most commonly performed by neurosurgeons were on the spine (including back and neck disorders), followed by cranial operations (including aneurysms, tumors and head injuries), cerebrospinal fluid shunting (for hydrocephalus), peripheral nerve surgery (including carpal tunnel), pain-relieving and functional operations (including deep brain stimulation), and extracranial cerebrovascular surgeries (including carotid artery surgery).

The 1999 study focused on surgical procedures. However, contrary to popular belief, neurosurgeons do more than perform surgery. Neurosurgeons often provide or recommend nonsurgical care. They diagnose what is wrong, they work with patients to develop optimal treatment plans, whether they include surgery or not. For example, most serious cases of back pain are treated with anti-inflammatory medication, physical therapy, and muscle relaxants. Surgery is necessary for only a small percentage of back pain patients.

Some of the specific disorders of the brain, spine and nerves commonly treated by neurosurgeons include: cerebral aneurysms, carotid artery disease, carpal tunnel syndrome, cerebral palsy, cervical spine disorders, chronic pain, craniosynostosis, epilepsy, head injury, herniated discs, hydrocephalus, low back pain, lumbar spinal stenosis, Parkinson's disease, pituitary tumors, sciatica, spina bifida, spinal cord injuries, stroke, trigeminal neuralgia, and tumors of the brain and spinal cord.

Neurosurgeons are well prepared to diagnose and treat a variety of complex cases. They have one of the longest training periods of any medical specialty. They spend four years in an accredited medical school, complete an internship that lasts a year, and then complete five to seven years in a neurosurgical residency program. In addition, some neurosurgeons complete an additional fellowship in a specialized area of study after their residency.

The 10-12 years of training after college are necessary because of the complexity of the nervous system. The advanced training also enables neurosurgeons to use some of the most sophisticated techniques in medicine. Few medical specialties come close to neurosurgery in terms of technological advances. Neurosurgeons use three-dimensional brain imaging, incision-free stereotactic neurosurgery, operating microscopes and other cutting-edge techniques to treat patients.

For more information about neurosurgery, visit the public Web site of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) at http://www.NeurosurgeryToday.org.

Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with more than 6,500 members worldwide. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical care to the public. All active members of the AANS are certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Neurosurgery) of Canada, or the Mexican Council of Neurological Surgery, AC. Neurological surgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the entire nervous system, including the spinal column, spinal cord, brain, and peripheral nerves.