Treating Cranial Conditions in San Antonio, Texas
Trust our highly trained neurosurgeons to identify and provide relief for complex cranial conditions.
Elevated Intracranial Pressure
Hydrocephalus
This condition is caused by an increased amount of cerebrospinal fluid (commonly called CSF) in the brain’s ventricles. The ventricles are a system of large, fluid-filled open spaces inside the brain. Too much CSF in the ventricles can elevate pressure in the skull. It can damage delicate brain tissue.
Chiari Malformation
This is a structural problem with the back of the brain. It involves the cerebellum. That’s the part of your brain that controls balance. Normally, the cerebellum sits in a space at the base of the skull. It’s just above the opening to the spinal canal, called the “foramen magnum.” With Chiari malformation, the cerebellum slips down through this opening.
Seizures & Neuromuscular Conditions
Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia
Trigeminal Neuralgia
This chronic condition is caused by a misfiring of the trigeminal nerve. An attack causes brief episodes of extreme, shooting pain.
Epilepsy
This is a problem with the electrical activity of your brain’s nerve cells. These cells are called “neurons.” With epilepsy, they sometimes send out disorganized signals. When this happens, you can suddenly lose control of your body for a brief time. There may be a change in how you act or feel. We call this a “seizure.”
Cranial Circulatory Disease
Arteriovenous Malformations
This is an abnormal connection between blood vessels. It happens when arteries connect directly to veins without first sending blood through tiny capillaries. An AVM can look like a tangle of blood vessels. They form anywhere in your body, but most often they form in or around the brain and along the spinal cord.
Brain Aneurysms
This condition is a bulge that forms in the wall of a weakened artery in the brain. This bulge can leak or rupture, causing a stroke. An aneurysm can be life-threatening.
Subdural Hematomas
This is a buildup of clotted blood beneath the dura. That’s a membrane that covers your brain. The blood can press harmfully against your brain.
Craniotomy/Craniectomy
This procedure, performed under general anesthesia, creates an opening through the skull for brain tumor removal. The surgery usually requires between two to five hours to complete. The length of surgery depends on the type and size of the tumor.
Burr Hole Trephination
This procedure creates one or more holes in the skull to release excess fluid pressure in the brain caused by a chronic subdural hematoma (blood clot on the brain). It can be performed under local anesthesia.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery
This nonsurgical procedure is used to treat an arteriovenous malformation (also called an AVM) located deep inside the brain. During this procedure, beams of radiation are precisely focused at the AVM, destroying the abnormal vessels while leaving surrounding tissue unharmed. The procedure may take several hours.
Cranial Tumors
Metastatic Brain Tumors
This is a cancer that began elsewhere in your body and then spread to your brain, forming one or more tumors. Many different cancers can spread this way. These tumors are actually more common than tumors that begin in the brain’s own tissues.
Meningioma
This is a tumor in your meninges. These thin layers of protective tissue surround your brain and spinal cord. Most meningiomas are not cancerous. They usually grow slowly.
Pituitary Tumors
Your pituitary gland is found just under your brain. This pea-sized gland makes hormones that affect many of your body’s functions. A pituitary tumor can cause it to release too much or too little of these hormones. This can cause serious problems.
Contact Us
To schedule an appointment or learn more about how Neurosurgery & Spine Consultants specializes in treating cranial conditions in the San Antonio communities of Medical Center, Stone Oak, Westover Hills and Southwest, call 210-255-8935 today. You can also request an appointment using the form on this page.