Brain Surgery

Whether you use the word “surgery,”
“resection,” “operation,” “brain operation”
or “brain surgery,” surgery is usually the
first step in treating most benign and many
malignant tumors. It is often the preferred
treatment when a tumor is accessible – which
means it can be removed without unnecessary
risk of neurological damage.
Surgery might be recommended to:
• remove as much tumor as possible
• provide a tumor tissue sample for an
accurate diagnosis
• remove at least part of the tumor to relieve
pressure inside the skull (intracranial
pressure), or to reduce the amount of tumor
to be treated with radiation or chemotherapy
• enable direct access for chemotherapy,
radiation implants, or genetic treatment
of malignant tumors
• relieve seizures (due to a brain tumor) that
are difficult to control
“Radiosurgery” is a type of intense radiation
delivered to a tumor. It may be used instead of, or
in addition to, conventional surgery.Radiosurgery
is not surgery in the conventional sense, as no
opening is made in the skull. In certain cases,
it may offer similar benefit and lower risk or
discomfort than conventional surgery.