Treatment
The neurosurgeons at Saint Francis Medical Center's Neurosciences Institute have trained at some of the finest teaching hospitals in the country and have performed thousands of surgeries. They are assisted by a team of experienced anesthesiologists, registered nurses and surgical technicians to perform advanced procedures and treatments including:
Bone implants are highly effective in relieving pain and improving mobility in people with routine disc disease in the lower back and neck. The bone implants use small wedges of bone milled to fit between two or more spinal vertebrae. The implants help eliminate abnormal motion in the disc space by placing the load along the spine in the way it is intended.
The image-guided system used during brain surgery consists of CT and/or MRI scans to provide a clear picture of the area of the brain the surgeon will operate on. This system is so precise the surgeon does not need to look at the actual brain during surgery but rather the computer on which the mapped brain images are enhanced.
Intradiscal electrothermy therapy is a slightly invasive, outpatient procedure to treat patients suffering from lower back pain caused by herniations or tears in the lumbar discs. A hollow needle is inserted into the affected lower lumbar disc followed by an electrothermal catheter (heating wire). The electrothermal catheter is heated for about 15 minutes, contracting and thickening fibers in the wall of the lumbar disc. The heat promotes healing of tears and cracks in the disc. In addition, nerve endings in the affected area are cauterized (burned) to make them less sensitive.
Kyphoplasty treats spine fracture complications such as intense pain, posture problems and pressure on the lungs that reduces their capacity. This minimally invasive surgical procedure inflates a special balloon inside the fractured vertebra to expand the bone back to its normal position.
Radiosurgery is the very precise delivery of radiation to the brain to treat tumors and lesions.
This device is implanted in the brain to help ease tremors caused by Parkinson's disease.
The vagus nerve stimulator is a round pulse generator, about the size of a pocket watch, implanted under the skin on the upper left side of the chest to help control seizures. A thin, flexible plastic tube containing electrodes is attached to the generator in the chest and connected to the vagus nerve in the neck. The generator produces regular pulses of electrical energy to inhibit the electrical disturbances caused by seizure.
For more information on Saint Francis' Neurosciences Institute, call 573-331-5838 or e-mail sfmc@sfmc.net.