Functional neurosurgery includes a range of minimally invasive and highly effective treatment options for neurological disorders in both children and adults, such as:
- Patients with complex pain disorders refractory to medications are evaluated by our multidisciplinary team of neurosurgeons, neurologists, anesthesiologists, physiatrists, and psychologists. Patients with intractable pain may be appropriate candidates for neurosurgical interventions such as microvascular decompression, radio-frequency lesions, and deep-brain or motor-cortex stimulation, or neuroablative procedures such as a thalamotomy or DREZ procedure. More about our Multidisciplinary Pain Program
- Patients with movement disorders who are not responding to medication, such as Parkinson's disease, essential tremor and dystonia, are assessed by a multidisciplinary team in order to ascertain whether they are appropriate candidates for a functional intervention.
- For adult patients who suffer from severe spasticity secondary to spinal cord injuries, progressive neurological degenerative disorders, or birth defects, a program for the surgical management of spasticity is available. A physiatrist with special expertise in spasticity is part of the team.
- Surgery is now an option for many children with debilitating spasticity or impaired movement and balance. When oral medication fails, spasticity may be reduced through the use of an implantable pump that delivers an antispasmodic medication directly to the spinal cord. In some cases, balance may be improved with a surgical technique called rhizotomy, which removes the damaged motor/reflex nerve roots located at the base of the spine. More about surgery for spasticity
- Movement also may be impaired by injury to the brachial plexus, a network of nerves located in the neck and shoulder. Brachial plexus injuries usually occur during birth, affecting up to 2 out of 1,000 babies. While some brachial plexus injuries may heal on their own, surgical repair may be needed to prevent permanent neurological damage.
