Cumberland Neurosurgery and Spine Center

A tumor is an abnormal mass of tissue that grows on or inside the body. It is known as primary if located where its growth first started, or secondary if it began growing elsewhere in the body and metastasized, or spread, to its present location. Most primary brain tumors do not metastasize outside the brain.

A benign tumor usually is encapsulated, does not spread to other areas of the body, grows slowly, and often causes problems by compressing brain tissue. A malignant, or cancerous, tumor grows uncontrollably, spreads throughout the brain, and destroys brain tissue.

A hemorrhage is when bleeding occurs either due to the size of the tumor or a patient’s age.

Some types of head trauma, and depending on the severity, can require neurosurgical intervention, such as:

• Concussion
• Craniofacial trauma
• Depressed skull fracture (break in a cranial bone with depression of the bone in toward the brain)
• Epidural hematoma (blood accumulates between the skull and the thick membrane covering the brain)
• Intracerebral hemorrhage/brain contusion
• Penetrating brain injury
• Subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding in the space that surrounds the brain)
• Subdural hematoma (blood clot between the surface of the brain and the thick membrane covering the brain)
• Traumatic brain injury

Degenerative disc disease affects the spinal discs between the vertebrae. This condition often results in the loss of cushioning, fragmentation and herniation.

While herniated discs are also called ruptured discs or slipped discs, only a small area is affected. A herniated disc is more likely to cause pain because it generally protrudes farther and is more likely to irritate nerve roots than a bulging disc.

Sciatica is the descriptive term for when pain runs from your back or buttocks down your leg and into your foot.

It is a condition caused by either compression or trauma of the sciatic nerve. Typically, there is an irritation of your nerve root in the lower part of your spine. In some instances, this could be due to a ruptured or herniated disc in your lower back.

Stenosis, a narrowing passage way of the spine, causes pressure on the spinal cord or nerves that often produces a dull, aching pain in the lower back when standing or walking. Lumbar stenosis is a natural product of aging and the wear and tear on the spine throughout our lives.

Spondylolysis is a defect in the lumbar vertebrae in the lower spine. Spondylolysis may occur as a structural or functional defect or be the result of repetitive trauma.

Spondylolisthesis occurs when spondylolysis weakens one of the vertebrae so much that the bone slips out of place.

The condition can also be caused by degenerative disc disease or by degenerative conditions that affect the vertebral joints. If the vertebrae slip too much and begin to press on nerves, surgery may become necessary.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common neurological disorder that occurs when the median nerve, which runs from your forearm into the palm of the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist. You may feel numbness, weakness, pain in your hand and wrist, and your fingers may become swollen and useless.

Ulnar nerve compression is a nerve disorder that can cause numbness, pain, or tingling in the arm, hand, or fingers. When you bend your elbow, the ulnar nerve—which travels from the shoulder to the hand—wraps around a bony ridge on the inside of the elbow.

Brain surgery may be required to access nerves and arteries within the skull, or to treat any intracranial abnormality such as a cyst, tumor, aneurysm, or hematoma.

An anterior cervical fusion and discectomy may be recommended for patients who experience spine conditions with either radiculopathy (irritation of the nerve root) or spinal stenosis, which sometimes causes myopathy (pressure on the spinal cord).

To learn more about why surgery may be needed for spine conditions like spinal stenosis, watch this video of Dr. Lawrence Maccree discussing this procedure and how he performs it.

View Anterior Cervical Fusion and Discectomy Video

In an anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF), the surgeon accesses the spine through an incision in the front, rather than the back. This surgical procedure is a type of spinal fusion performed to stabilize a painful motion segment in the lower back.

Corpectomy removes all or part of the vertebra usually to decompress the spinal cord and nerves. This procedure is usually performed with some form of discectomy.

Decompressive and traditional hemilaminectomy removes part of a vertebra called a lamina usually to decompress the spinal cord and nerves.

A decompressive laminectomy may be recommended for patients who experience spine conditions like spinal stenosis.

To learn more about why surgery may be needed for spine conditions like spinal stenosis, watch this video of Dr. Lawrence Maccree discussing this procedure and how he performs it.

View Decompressive Laminectomy Video

A discectomy may be recommended for patients who have a herniated disc.

To learn more about why surgery may be needed for spine conditions like a herniated disc, watch this video of Dr. Lawrence Maccree discussing this procedure and how he performs it.

View Discectomy Video

Lateral lumbar interbody fusion (XLIF) is a minimally invasive procedure to treat leg or back pain generally caused by degenerative disc disease.

A lumbar fusion may be recommended for patients who experience spine conditions with either radiculopathy (irritation of the nerve root) or instability (where the spine is moving more than it should causing back pain, muscle spasms, and radiculopathy).

To learn more about why surgery may be needed for spine conditions, watch this video of Dr. Lawrence Maccree discussing this procedure and how he performs it.

View Lumbar Fusion Video

Spinal cord stimulator is the insertion of a stimulator to send electrical signals to select areas of the spinal cord for treatment of spinal pain.

Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) fuses and stabilizes the spine.

Vertebroplasty is a procedure during which a special cement is injected into a fractured vertebra with the goal of relieving spinal pain and restoring mobility.

Carpal tunnel release, or carpal tunnel surgery, may be recommended for patients who have carpal tunnel syndrome.

To learn more about why surgery may be needed for carpal tunnel syndrome, watch this video of Dr. Lawrence Maccree discussing this procedure and how he performs it.

View Carpal Tunnel Release Video

A sacroiliac fusion may be recommended for patients who experience sacroiliitis, or sacroiliac disease, which is inflammation or irritation of the sacroiliac joint.

To learn more about why surgery may be needed for sacroiliac joint conditions, watch this video of Dr. Lawrence Maccree discussing this procedure and how he performs it.

View Sacroiliac Fusion Video

Ulnar nerve surgery may be recommended for patients who experience chronic irritation, injury, or conditions affecting the ulnar nerve.

To learn more about why surgery may be needed for ulnar nerve conditions, watch this video of Dr. Lawrence Maccree discussing this procedure and how he performs it.

View Ulnar Surgery Video