Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery

Cerebrovascular neurosurgery is specialized surgery used to repair or open up the blood vessels that carry blood to and throughout the brain.

Cerebrovascular neurosurgeons perform open surgeries, which means neurosurgeons directly access and operate on the blood vessels in your brain or spine. Our cerebrovascular neurosurgeons collaborate with interventional neuroradiologists if minimally invasive surgery is the best option for you.

Cerebrovascular neurosurgeons at Baptist Health correct conditions affecting blood flow to and within the brain. This can include restrictions in blood flow, ruptured blood vessels or blood clots. Most often, these conditions are emergencies that need fast treatment.

Conditions that may benefit from cerebrovascular neurosurgery include:

• Aneurysms
• Arteriovenous malformations (AVM)
• Cavernous angiomas
• Cavernous vascular malformation (CVM)
• Cerebral ischemia
• Dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs)
• Moyamoya disease
• Stroke

At Baptist Health, we use detailed diagnostic testing and imaging to diagnose cerebrovascular problems and plan treatment.

The imaging tests we use help us to pinpoint the location of your problem in preparation for your procedure.

Cerebral angiography is a common test we use to diagnose cerebrovascular conditions. This test involves injecting a dye into your veins and using a CT scan or MRI to see how that dye flows through your brain. These diagnostic tests help show where blockages or aneurysms are located in the brain.

Baptist Health Brain & Spine Care offers a variety of cerebrovascular neurosurgery treatments including:

• Carotid endarterectomy. This treatment involves removing plaque from arteries to prevent stroke.
• Clipping. This treatment involves placing a small metal clip at the base of an aneurysm to stop blood from flowing to the aneurysm and causing a rupture.
• Coiling. This treatment inserts small metal coils that help clot blood to the aneurysm and prevent a rupture.
• Embolization. This treatment involves using a glue-like substance to stop blood from flowing to an aneurysm.
• Resection. During this treatment, we remove a tumor from a blood vessel. This is typically used to treat cavernous angiomas, which are benign tumors that form from a group of dilated blood vessels.
• Thrombectomy. This treatment involves removing blood clots from arteries or veins. This treatment may be followed by clipping.

Whenever possible, we will recommend minimally invasive cerebrovascular procedures. These procedures can offer a faster recovery time and may be the best option if you are at high risk for complications from traditional open surgery.

However, the type of surgery we recommend will depend on your diagnosis, the location of the problem and your overall health. We collaborate closely with many different specialists throughout Baptist Health Brain & Spine Care to determine the best and most effective treatment for you.

Baptist Health Brain & Spine care offers personalized care for patients with cerebrovascular conditions from diagnosis through to full recovery. Your recovery time will vary based on the type of surgery you need.

After surgery, you will likely stay in the hospital for observation. You may receive care in our neurological critical care unit (neuro-ICU) for close monitoring and expert care in the days following surgery.

Your recovery may also include Neurorehabilitation — both in and out of the hospital. Physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy can help you recover your strength, mobility or ability to speak after surgery.