Surgeries

Deep Brain Stimulation

Download a pamphlet on Deep Brain Stimulation . Download a pamphlet on replacing your INS (Implantable Neural Stimulator) . Watch a Video on DBS (Global NEWS, April 2, 2018) (adjust the volume with your mouse at bottom of the video and sorry about the advertisement that precedes...

Thalamotomy

Download a pamphlet on Pallidotomy and Thalamotomy    Introduction Patients should speak directly with their neurosurgeon to fully understand the benefits and risks of this surgery. The thalamotomy procedure is designed to reduce tremor on the opposite side of the body (i.e. a left...

Pallidotomy

Download a pamphlet on Pallidotomy and Thalamotomy    Introduction Patients should speak directly with their neurosurgeon to fully understand the benefits and risks of this surgery. Before the advent of l-dopa, there was little treatment for Parkinson’s Disease. Clinicians had...

Microvascular Decompression for Trigeminal Neuralgia

This video shows the view down our microscope of a trigeminal nerve being hit from above (loop of red artery curving to the right hitting the nerve on its left). Eventually, I pushed the artery up (to the left) and put some Teflon on it so that nothing was touching the trigeminal nerve. The...

Microvascular Decompression for Hemifacial Spasm

This video shows the view down our microscope of a facial nerve being hit from below (loop of red artery curving to the right hitting the nerve on its left side). Eventually, I pushed the artery down (to the left) and put some Teflon on it so that nothing was touching the facial nerve. The patient...

Percutaneous Rhizotomy

Download a pamphlet on Percutaneous Trigeminal Rhizotomy  . . Introduction Patients should speak directly with their neurosurgeon to fully understand the benefits and risks of this surgery. There are two different surgical operations available at Vancouver Functional Neurosurgery for TN....

Cordotomy

This information is designed to help patients talk with their surgeon about this operation.   The results and complications will vary between centres especially because this operation has become quite rare. The cordotomy operation is designed to destroy the pain pathway in the spinal cord....

Motor Cortex Stimulation

Patients should speak directly with their neurosurgeon to fully understand the benefits and risks of this surgery. The operation Motor Cortex Stimulation or MCS was developed in Japan in the 1980’s to treat post-stroke pain.  It is performed in specialized centres around the world.  The most...

Spinal (Baclofen) Pump

Introduction Patients should speak directly with their neurosurgeon to fully understand the benefits and risks of this surgery. This information is designed to help patients discuss their operation with their neurosurgeon.  The specific benefits and risks of the operation must be reviewed...

Stereotactic Mesencephalotomy

This information is designed to help patients talk with their surgeon about this operation.   The results and complications will vary between centres especially because this operation has become quite rare.   The stereotactic mesencephalotomy operation is designed to destroy the pain...

Trigeminal Nucleotractotomy

Patients should speak directly with their neurosurgeon to fully understand the benefits and risks of this surgery. Over the years, a variety of different operations have been tried to treat the pain of Post-Herpetic Neuralgia (PHN).  The literature has been clouded by different investigators using...