August is Neurosurgery Awareness Month
Neurosurgery has been around for more than a thousand years. The first documented brain surgeon was Abulcasis, who lived from 936 to 1013AD, and wrote many works on neurosurgical diagnosis and treatment, including writings on head injuries and skull fractures, spinal injuries and subdural effusions. Fast forward 800 years, because it wasn’t until 1879 that the first successful brain tumor removal was performed by Scottish surgeon William Macewen. Further, it wasn’t until another 100 years, in the late 20th century, that neurosurgery took its place as one of the most highly regarded surgical practices.
Neurosurgery is focused on the prevention, diagnoses, surgical treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any part of the nervous system, especially the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves. By the time most neurosurgeons complete their training, they will have completed a total of 15 (or more) years of education beyond high school and require seven years of residency, two more years than, for examplee, an orthopedic surgeon.
In the spirit of Neurosurgery Awareness Month, here are some of the many conditions that neurosurgeons treat:
- Spinal disc herniation
- Cervical spinal stenosis and Lumbar spinal stenosis
- Hydrocephalus
- Head trauma: brain hemorrhages, skull fractures, etc
- Brain tumors and tumors of the spinal cord
In fact, in July 2017, Senator John McCain underwent a minimally-invasive craniotomy, an opening in the skull, to remove a brain tumor.
During Neurosurgery Awareness Month, Maryland Brain, Spine and Pain (MBSP) celebrates three decades of neurosurgical care to our community. We are proud of our accomplishments. Since 1984, when our founding partner, Dr. Thomas Ducker opened his practice in Annapolis, MD, MBSP has expanded to include three Board-Certified neurosurgeons, Drs. Sullivan, Burke and Dix. These three doctors, along with two pain management physicians, built upon Dr. Ducker’s legacy by providing exceptional, personalized care to our patients. #NeurosurgeryAwarenessMonth #WhatWillBeYourLegacyMonth