Neurosurgery in Ventura and Los Angeles counties
Los Robles Health System's neurosurgery program offers cutting-edge techniques and state-of-the-art technology for the treatment of neurological disorders. Through our minimally invasive procedures, our expert team of neurological surgeons can treat brain and spinal cord conditions including complex tumors, vascular lesions, and other central nervous system disorders.
If you want to consult with our neurological experts, we'll evaluate your condition and suggest the best possible treatment option for you.
To find a physician specializing in neurosurgery, please call our Consult-A-Nurse® line at (877) 888-5746.
Neurological procedures we perform
Our neurologists can treat a variety of neurological diseases and conditions, including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord disorders and complications from a cerebrovascular accident (stroke). Some of the advanced neurological procedures we perform include:
Brain tumor treatment
A brain tumor is a collection of abnormal cells in the brain. Some brain tumors are cancerous and others are noncancerous. They can start in the brain, or they can begin in other parts of the body and spread to the brain.
We use several different procedures to treat brain tumors:
Microsurgical resection of benign brain tumors
Our doctors can remove benign, non-cancerous brain tumors with improved safety and reduced effects to the surrounding area through state-of-the-art technology.
Using a computer, the surgeon can identify the precise location of the tumor. They then use an operating binocular microscope to remove the tumor safely and more completely.
Microsurgical resection of malignant brain tumors
Removing malignant, cancerous tumors is similar to the technique that doctors use to combat benign tumors. New technology provides effective surgical treatments for conditions that used to undergo radiation with less effective results.
Resection of complex tumors
This is an area of neurologic surgery that treats tumors and other conditions that affect the base of the cranium. Our neurosurgeons have special fellowship training and experience to treat the area behind the eyes and nose that is close to vital nerves, as well as blood vessels in the brain, neck and spine.
Shunts
A shunt is a hollow tube surgically placed in the brain or spine to help drain cerebrospinal fluid to another part of the body. Our neurosurgeons can place shunts in a variety of ways:
Ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement (VP shunt)
In a VP shunt, doctors place the tube in one of the brain's cavities, where fluid collects, and pass it under the skin to the abdominal cavity, where the fluid can be resorbed. This placement treats hydrocephalus, which is an obstruction to the flow of spinal fluid causing excessive brain size or pressure.
Ventriculoatrial shunt placement (VA shunt)
This treatment is similar to a VP shunt except that the end of the tube is placed in the side of the heart known as the atrium. This can be used for patients who may have problems in the lining of the abdomen, such as scar tissue.
Ventriculopleural shunt placement
Another alternative shunt procedure is ventriculopleural shunt placement. This procedure has the tube ending in the lung cavity. Spinal fluid can be resorbed in this location.
Endoscopic third ventriculostomy
An endoscopic third ventriculostomy is a minimally invasive operation to treat hydrocephalous. During the procedure, the surgeon creates an opening between a brain fluid cavity and the area outside of the brain where spinal fluid may be resorbed without a tube.
Peripheral nerve decompression treatment
Conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome can be caused by a nerve in the arms or legs that becomes compressed. Symptoms may include:
- Feeling that a foot or hand has fallen asleep
- Muscle weakness
- Numbness in the area affected by the nerve
- Sharp or burning pain
- Tingling sensations
We can treat peripheral nerve decompression with several different procedures:
Decompression of the ulnar nerve
Compression of the ulnar nerve occurs most often at the elbow and includes symptoms such as numbness of the ring and little fingers. Decompressing the nerve is a simple outpatient procedure. The patient often feels little discomfort and can quickly return to their daily activities.
Decompression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel
Carpal tunnel syndrome is the compression of the median nerve in the wrist. While a variety of surgical treatments are available, neurosurgeons often use a microscope for both safety and small incisions.
Cerebrovascular clipping
Clipping is a surgery performed to treat a brain aneurysm, which is a bulge in the wall of an artery that leads to the brain. In the procedure, a neurosurgeon places a small clip across the base of the aneurysm to stop it from bleeding.
Neuroendovascular program
Neuroendovascular surgery (NES), also known as interventional neuroradiology, uses minimally invasive procedures to treat complex diseases that affect the brain and spine.
The mission of the NES program is to provide comprehensive services to our community, including diagnostic catheter angiography, neurocritical care and open surgical and endovascular neurosurgery of cerebrovascular diseases.
Our dedicated team of specialists utilize state-of-the-art technology to achieve clinical excellence in neuroimaging, endovascular device development and advanced techniques in image guided minimally invasive surgery.
Employing minimally invasive procedures leads to many benefits, which include fewer complication rates and quicker recovery times. With the advancements that these procedures provide, our surgical team is able to provide effective treatment options that target the delicate areas of the brain, neck and spine.
Through these procedures, our surgeons are able to effectively treat brain aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, arteriovenous fistulas and stroke by threading small wires and catheters through arteries and veins. This technique allows for conditions to be treated from within the blood vessels, without the need for traditional surgery.
Conditions treated
Our neuroendovascular program treats a wide range of conditions, including the following:
- Aneurysm
- Arteriovenous fistula
- Arteriovenous malformation
- Brain and spinal tumor
- Carotid artery disease
- Cavernous malformation
- Central retinal artery occlusion
- Epistaxis
- Hemangiomas or venolymphatic malformations
- Intracranial hemorrhage
- Intracranial arteriosclerotic disease
- Moyamoya disease
- Pediatric brain vascular malformations
- Spinal cord vascular disease
- Stroke
- Traumatic brain injury
- Venous thrombosis in the brain
Procedures offered
Our team of neuroendovascular surgeons are trained to treat the above conditions with the following procedures:
- Balloon test occlusion
- Brain and spinal tumor embolization
- Brain aneurysm treatment
- Carotid stenting
- Diagnostic cerebral angiogram
- Intracranial angioplasty and stent placement
- Spinal angiograms
- Stroke — intra-arterial thrombolysis and thrombectomy
