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Neurosurgery

Our neurosurgeons extend hope and healing to people living with nervous system conditions like brain tumors, epilepsy and aneurysms. From spine surgery to operating on the tiny blood vessels that pump blood to the brain (cerebrovascular surgery), our neurosurgeons always have your well-being top of mind.

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Achieving big outcomes with the smallest technologies

Neurosurgery is complex, but understanding your treatment plan doesn’t have to be. That’s why it’s so important to find a neurosurgeon you trust when it comes to matters of the head, neck and spine.

Together, those major body parts make up the body’s control center and are responsible for how we think, act and move. So when you need a health system to provide unmatched care for your nervous system, feel confident knowing you can trust in our team at Tufts Medicine.

We use the latest techniques — like Gamma Knife surgery and microsurgical instruments as thin as a human hair — to address all kinds of neurologic and spinal conditions, from spine surgery to brain tumors and epilepsy. And if you ever have any questions, we'll be there for you every step of the way.

Carl Heilman, MD and Haran Ramachandran, MD in a neurosurgery to remove three benign brain tumors from a patient.

Neurosurgical care near you

Lowell General Hospital

We’re here to provide you with the highest level of care right where you live. From the most precise brain mapping to the latest micro-instruments, our specialized neurosurgery team at Lowell General Hospital partner with you from diagnosis to post-surgical care.

MelroseWakefield Hospital

You need a neurosurgeon you can trust when it comes to matters of the head, neck and spine. We offer high-quality, minimally invasive and comprehensive neurosurgical care at MelroseWakefield Hospital. And, if you need specialty neurosurgical care, we will seamlessly transition you to Tufts Medical Center and then will be able to provide your follow-up care back at MelroseWakefield Hospital. 

Tufts Medical Center

Our team is dedicated to providing you with a lifetime of compassionate, personalized care for neurologic diseases, including brain tumors, aneurysms and spinal problems. We’re equipped to treat the most complex cases and achieve the very best results and our state-of-the-art neurosurgical intensive care unit ensures you the best possible recovery after your procedure. Our clinical programs and specialties include:

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Conditions

Neurosurgery can be a smart treatment option for a variety of conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord and nerves, including:

Acoustic neuromas (vestibular schwannoma)
Arteriovenous malformation (avm)
Brain aneurysm
Brain cancer
Brain tumors
Carotid artery disease
Carotid artery occlusive disease
Cavernous malformations
Cerebral aneurysms
Cerebrovascular disease
Cervical myelopathy
Dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVF)
Epilepsy
Facial pain
Functional disorders
Herniated discs
Hydrocephalus
Intracerebral hemorrhage
Meningioma
Moyamoya disease
Pituitary adennoma
Sciatica
Skull base lesion
Spinal stenosis
Spine tumors
Stroke
Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Traumatic brain injury
Vascular malformations
Vasculitis
Venous malformations
Vertebral artery disease
Vertebral occlusive disease
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Treatments

Surgery is often just one part of a neurologic treatment plan, which may also include medication, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. We’ll work closely with you, your loved ones and the rest of your care team to map a treatment path that puts your goals, comfort and well-being first.

Neurovascular surgery

The neurovascular system is a complex, delicate network of blood vessels that supply blood to the brain and spinal cord. When conditions like a brain aneurysm or stroke throw the neurovascular system off balance, it can have life-threatening effects.

If you're living with a condition that affects this part of the body, you can count on our neurovascular surgeons to care for you with a steady hand and a clear treatment path.

Epilepsy surgery

Epilepsy surgery can help you live a life free of seizures with the latest neurosurgical procedures and technologies, like:

  • NeuroPace RNS System®: Device implanted in the brain that gives your nervous system greater control of its electrical activity. 
  • Temporal lobectomy: A focal resection involves removing a small part of the brain that’s causing abnormal electrical activity.
  • Vagus nerve stimulators (VNS): A small device implanted near the neck to aid the nervous system.

Gamma Knife surgery

Gamma Knife surgery is a safe, painless way to perform brain, head and neck surgery without making any incisions. Instead, we focus 192 beams of gamma radiation onto the area in need of care.

These beams harmlessly bypass nearby healthy tissue, which offers several key benefits for you:

  • Less risk of infection and complications
  • Little to no pain
  • Shorter recovery times

We’re proud to be among the few health systems in greater Boston to offer this life-changing procedure.

Minimally invasive + endoscopic neurosurgery

When it comes to caring for your nervous system, small incisions can make a big difference. Whenever possible, we use the latest minimally invasive and endoscopic techniques to treat and navigate around this sensitive part of the body.

Coiling

Catheters are thin, flexible tubes that help our doctors access hard-to-reach areas in the brain and spine. We treat 80% of people who've had aneurysms using a technique called coiling. It involves inserting a spring-like device through a catheter to clot an abnormal blood vessel near the brain.

Endoscopic surgery

An endoscope is like a catheter, but with a camera and light at one end. Endoscopes give our surgeons a clear view of the area they’re working on, which allows us to operate with greater precision.

Microsurgery

Microsurgery is the practice of using tiny surgical instruments that can be thinner than a strand of human hair. Our neurosurgeons use microsurgery techniques to treat narrowed or hardened arteries connected to the brain and spinal cord.

Skull base surgery

When a tumor, aneurysm or other abnormality is in a hard-to-reach place, skull base surgery can help us protect and heal the area near the bottom part of your skull. With tools like catheters, endoscopes and robotic-assisted surgery technology, we can make surgical incisions that are roughly the size of a marble. This allows us to remove tumors while sparing healthy tissue.

Neurosurgeon Julian Wu, MD and Kerry Mahn, RN fitting headpiece used in Gamma Knife procedure on patient at Tufts Medical Center.
Our locations

From regular office visits to inpatient stays, find the health care you need and deserve close to home.

Mina Safain, MD performing a neurosurgery at MelroseWakefield Hospital.
Our doctors

Meet the doctors and care team devoted to supporting you every step of the way along your path to better health.

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Brain aneurysm
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Mepi vs. Bupi in Neurosurgery
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