Endovascular Neurosurgery

Endovascular Neurosurgery or Interventional Neuroradiology is a medical speciality in which minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for cerebrovascular disorders are performed under radiological guidance. It is somewhat similar to the treatment carried out in the heart by cardiologists, such as angioplasty or stent placement. In these procedures, very thin catheters or wires are placed through blood vessels in groin and navigated in the blood vessels to the site of the abnormal vessels.

This is followed by diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. These procedures are done instead of open surgery and in some cases to supplement the conventional surgery. Since these procedures avoid open surgery, it leads to better outcomes and shorter recovery times. Neurointerventions play a crucial role in diagnosis and management of brain aneurysms, stenosis of arteries such as carotid arteries, Arteriovenous malformations, acute ischaemic stroke.

Cerebral or Spinal Angiography

DSA (Digital Subtraction Angiography) is considered as the ‘gold standard’ investigation to diagnose diseases of blood vessels and is performed when a vascular disease is suspected.

Intracranial Aneurysms

Aneurysms are focal swelling of blood vessels, which can burst and cause bleeding in the brain. Endovascular coiling can treat these aneurysms, thus avoiding open surgery. Studies have shown that coiling treatment leads to better outcomes as compared to open surgical clipping.

Angioplasty or Stent Placement

This procedure is done to treat stenosis in arteries of brain (including carotid, vertebral, intracranial arteries). Many cases of stroke occur due to stenosis in arteries leading to brain. They can be treated non-invasively by endovascular route with an angioplasty or stenting procedure. Many of these procedures are performed under local anesthesia with reduced morbidity.

Stroke or Brain Attack, Including Intra-Arterial Thrombolysis

Acute stroke or brain attack usually occurs due to blockage of arteries of the brain. Appropriate patients can be treated by placing a micro-catheter at the site of blockage followed by administration of thrombolytic drugs, which dissolve the blocking material. Mechanical clot removal can be done in patients even who come many after the stroke.

Advanced Epilepsy Surgery

Epilepsy is a condition that can be well controlled in a vast majority of patients. However, 5-10% patients do not achieve adequate seizure control despite trial of best anti-epileptic drug combinations. Such patients are categorized as having refractory or intractable Epilepsy.

These patients require special evaluation for treatments other than medical management alone. Epilepsy surgery is a special kind of brain surgery wherein the small part of brain which is responsible for uncontrolled epilepsy can be safely removed without causing any harm. Read More…