Skilled Neurosurgery Specialists
If you need surgery for a complex brain, spine or nervous system condition, you need the help of an expert neurosurgical team you can trust. Sanford Health’s neurosurgeons are specially trained to treat a wide variety of neurological conditions and injuries. Our team develops customized treatment plans and provides minimally invasive surgical procedures that offer shorter recovery times and lower risks for patients.
What is Neurosurgery?
Neurosurgery is any surgical treatment that is performed on a portion of the nervous system, including the brain and spine. Neurosurgeons use advanced technology and a variety of surgical techniques to treat complex neurological problems while minimizing recovery time and risks.
Brain and Spine Conditions We Treat
The neurosurgical team at Sanford Health treats a wide range of conditions and injuries through various types of procedures. We specialize in treating:
- Acoustic neuromas
- Adult and pediatric trauma
- Aneurysms
- Carotid artery disease
- Chiari malformation
- Complex brain tumors
- Hydrocephalus
- Moyamoya
- Pediatric scoliosis
- Peripheral nerve disease
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Tumors
Neurosurgery Treatments and Procedures
Deep Brain Stimulation for Movement Disorders
Deep brain stimulation is a functional neurosurgery treatment used to treat movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and tremors. Functional neurosurgery aims to restore brain function.
Deep brain stimulation works by using minimally invasive techniques to implant a small device in the brain that works like a pacemaker. This device sends electrical pulses to stimulate the brain.
Through this device, neurosurgeons can lessen symptoms, restore proper function and improve your quality of life.
Neurovascular Surgery for Strokes and Aneurysms
We use neurovascular procedures when treating damaged blood vessels in the brain or spine. Bleeding from these damaged vessels can cause strokes and aneurysms, or other conditions.
Neurovascular treatments include microvascular clipping to cut off blood flow to an aneurysm.
Pain Management
Pain related to neurological conditions can be debilitating. Our team uses advanced pain management techniques and technology to help patients feel better, including:
- Spinal cord stimulators: These surgically implanted devices send electrical currents to your spinal cord. These currents help reduce back pain and other types of pain.
- Intrathecal pain pumps: These implanted pumps deliver small doses of medication into the spinal cord. They can reduce pain caused by brain and spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, stroke and more.
Brain Tumor Surgery
Neurosurgeons use a specialized kind of surgery to treat brain tumors at the base of the skull. Oftentimes, these procedures are minimally invasive, limiting the impact on surrounding tissue and shortening your recovery time.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery
Using a detailed 3D picture of your brain, doctors can deliver precise doses of radiation to targeted areas with tumors and other issues. This procedure is especially helpful when surgery is not an option or tumors are too deep inside the brain.
Vagus Nerve Stimulation VNS for Epilepsy
An implanted device called a vagus nerve stimulator can treat intractable epilepsy that doesn’t respond to standard medications. The device sends pulses that may help increase blood flow to the brain or change brain patterns. This procedure may reduce the number of seizures a patient experiences.
Additional Neurosurgery Treatments and Procedures
- Arteriovenous malformation (AVM) treatment
- Artificial disc surgery
- Awake brain surgery
- Brain tumor embolization
- Cerebral and spinal angiograms
- Complex, minimally invasive and robotic spine surgery
- Cranial nerve compression syndrome treatment
- ENT lesion embolization
- Intrathecal pain pumps
- Middle meningeal artery (MMA) embolization
- Minimally invasive skull-based surgery
- Pediatric neurosurgery
- Spinal cord stimulation
- Vertebroplasty
- Vivistim
How Our Neurosurgeons Care for You
Whether you’re undergoing a complex procedure or a routine surgery, our experts are dedicated to your well-being and will do everything they can to improve your health.
Our neurosurgeons will help you make decisions about your care. They create safe, effective treatment plans that are right for you. To do this, they:
- Review your health history
- Do physical and neurological exams to diagnose neurological issues or pain
- Look at images and other diagnostic tests
- Make recommendations for non-surgical options, if possible
Trauma Care for the Most Serious Brain and Spine Injuries
Our team of trauma surgeons, neurosurgeons and other specialists offer 24/7 care for severely injured patients.
Both Sanford Medical Center Fargo in Fargo, North Dakota, and Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, are Level I adult trauma centers and have advanced emergency care. Sanford Bismarck Medical Center in Bismarck, North Dakota, is a Level II adult trauma center.
Find a Neurosurgeon Near You
You can find experienced Sanford Health neurosurgeons throughout the region. Schedule an appointment with one of our neurosurgeons today.
