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…

Optune: New Toxic-Free Treatment For Brain Tumors
By Dr. Tim Burke, Neurosurgeon, Maryland Brain, Spine + Pain Cancer treatment has evolved in ways never thought possible, making the ‘C word’ a little less frightening. As a physician, I’m grateful to have more options for my patients. Those with glioblastoma (GBM) brain tumors, for instance, can try Optune therapy. What is Optune? Optune,…

Head Games
Fumble: Have we dropped the ball on concussion? By Gary Dix M.D., MBA, Neurosurgeon Have you seen ‘Concussion’ starring Will Smith? Released late last year, this movie details the NFL’s attempts to invalidate Dr. Bennet Omalu’s findings on concussion and its link to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy or CTE, a progressive degenerative disease associated with repeated…