Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgical procedure where your provider implants a lead in the brain and a pulse generator just below your collarbone that’s designed to deliver a mild electrical current to a specific part of your brain. The current from the generator stimulates the brain cells where the...
According to the National Cancer Institute, a tumor is described as “an abnormal mass of tissue that results when cells divide more than they should or do not die when they should.” A brain tumor forms within the brain tissue or migrates to the brain tissue from another location (metastasizes). Normal cells...
Hydrocephalus comes from the Greek words for “water” and “head” and is translated as “water on the brain.” It’s a condition where too much cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) builds up within the ventricles — the fluid-filled cavities — in the brain. The pressure it exerts on the brain’s tissues can lead...
A meningioma is a tumor that grows within the three layers of tissue that encase and protect your central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). These tissues are known as the meninges. The tumors generally form in the area between your brain and the inside of your skull, placing pressure...
The cells in your body are created, grow, divide, and eventually die, replaced by new cells formed in response to an organ or system’s need. Some cells, though, don’t follow the normal pattern, continually growing and dividing and eventually collecting into a mass called a tumor. Some of these tumor cells...
Stroke is a circulatory system disease affecting the arteries leading into the brain and those contained within it. In the United States, it’s the fifth-leading cause of death and a major cause of disability. Arteries are the blood vessels that transport oxygenated blood and nutrients from the heart to the...
Your spine is an amazing structure, with bony vertebrae stacked into a column interspersed with cushiony intervertebral discs to absorb shock and held together by facet joints that allow for a range of movement. Inside the column is the spinal canal through which the spinal cord runs, branching off peripheral...
Back pain is a widespread ailment, afflicting 8 out of 10 people at least once during their lives. Your spine, composed of 24 bony vertebrae with soft intervertebral discs between them as cushioning, extends from the base of the skull into the neck (cervical spine), through the chest (thoracic spine), and down...
A herniated spinal disc may cause no symptoms, but it’s more likely to impinge upon surrounding nerves, causing a great deal of pain that radiates from the nerve root into other parts of the body. From conventional to surgical, there are treatments available that repair the damage, relieve the symptoms,...
Chiari malformations (CMs) are a structural problem at the base of the skull. They occur when the cerebellum, which normally sits above an opening in the skull called the foramen magnum, pushes through the opening and down into the spinal canal. This condition can lead to severe complications, including hydrocephalus,...
Parkinson’s disease is an age-related neurodegenerative disease, meaning it destroys nerves in certain parts of the brain, leading to a host of symptoms. While there isn’t a cure, there are treatments that can help slow its progression. At Center for Neurosurgery Las Vegas, board-certified neurosurgeon Dr. Scott Glickman specializes in diagnosing and treating...
Hydrocephalus (literally “water on the brain”) is a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain. The excess fluid increases pressure on the brain’s tissues, which can damage them. Left untreated, hydrocephalus can be fatal. At Center for Neurosurgery Las Vegas, Dr. Scott Glickman, a board-certified, multi-fellowship-trained neurosurgeon, has extensive experience...
The cells in your body have a life cycle — they’re created, grow, divide, and eventually die, replaced by new cells that form in response to an organ or system’s need. Some cells, though, don’t behave normally; they continually grow and divide, collecting into a mass called a tumor. Some can...
The National Cancer Institute states that a tumor is “an abnormal mass of tissue that results when cells divide more than they should or do not die when they should.” Normal cells have a life cycle — they’re created, grow, divide, die, and are replaced by new cells that form, but only...
Spinal tumors are abnormal growths that develop in the spinal canal or inside the vertebrae, the bony structures of the spine. The most common primary spine tumor — a tumor that originates in the bones of the spine — is vertebral hemangiomas. These tumors are benign (non-cancerous) and rarely cause...
When a weak area in a blood vessel’s wall balloons out, it’s called an aneurysm. Because the wall is weak, with pressure it can burst, allowing blood to leak out into the surrounding tissues, damaging or destroying them. A brain (cerebral) aneurysm is one that occurs in a blood vessel...
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by unpredictable and recurrent periods of abnormal electrical activity in the brain, known as seizures. Anyone can develop the condition, but it’s most often diagnosed in young children and older adults, with slightly more males affected. Some three million adults in the United...
A herniated disc may be a pain in the … back. Otherwise called a “bulging” or “slipped” disc, the problematic tissue may cause no symptoms, but it’s more likely to “pinch” or impinge upon surrounding nerves, causing a great deal of shooting or radiating pain. Fortunately, though, you have treatment...
Chiari malformations are structural problems in the base of the skull, especially with the cerebellum, the brain area that controls balance, and the brain stem. Normally the cerebellum sits above an opening in the skull called the foramen magnum, which permits the spinal cord to pass through it. When part...
An aneurysm is a weakened area in a blood vessel that enlarges or “balloons.” When that happens, the vessel wall can burst, allowing blood to leak out and flow into other tissues, potentially damaging or destroying them. A cerebral (or brain) aneurysm is one that happens in a blood vessel...
A “bulging” or herniated spinal disc may cause no symptoms, but it’s more likely to impinge on surrounding nerves and cause a great deal of shooting or radiating pain. Fortunately, though, treatments are available. From conventional to surgical, it’s possible to repair the damage and get you back to your...
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered dramatic changes throughout everyday life — and in the medical community as well. Not only are providers across the country postponing elective procedures, but many are also encouraging people to avoid in-office appointments to reduce their risk of exposure to this highly contagious coronavirus.But what...
Meningiomas are the most common type of tumor that develops in the head. They arise from the meninges — the membranes that cover your central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Although not technically a brain tumor, meningiomas are included in this category because they can impinge on the adjacent...
About 8% of Americans suffer from chronic back problems that stem from a wide variety of causes like spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, and herniated discs. While acute pain due to a muscle strain goes away after a few days or weeks, chronic back pain persists for months or years and negatively...