Although some neurological disorders require surgery, most do not. There are many conservative, non-surgical treatments that can benefit patients with neurological disorders, such as medications, pain management, minimally invasive treatments, and physical therapy techniques.
Alternatives to Surgery
Until recently, brain aneurysms were most commonly treated through the surgical clipping procedure that involves a craniotomy. In this procedure, neurosurgeons remove a section of the skull, navigate the brain tissue to the aneurysm, and then place a tiny metal clip that stops blood flow into the aneurysm. Now, in some cases, SSM interventional neurologists using the biplane angiography system can repair the rupture from inside the vessel without open surgery and incisions. Studies show that this non-invasive treatment of aneurysms is safer with fewer complications, shortening hospitalization and recovery time.
- Coiling - Biplane technology also allows minimally invasive endovascular coiling. The physician threads a tiny platinum coil through the catheter and deploys it into the aneurysm. The coil fills the aneurysm, causing clotting and sealing the aneurysm off from connecting arteries.
- Treatment of arteriovenous malformations (AVM) SSM Neurosciences Institute physicians can treat AVMs - abnormal connections between arteries and veins in the brain - several different ways, including: blockage of the abnormal vessels with an epoxy substance using catheter-based techniques; focused radiation; or surgical removal. It's not always possible to remove an AVM if it's too large or if it's located deep within the brain. Surgical removal of a smaller AVM from a more accessible portion of the brain, though, can eliminate the risk of rupture.