Treatment Options at NeuroCare Long Island

The board-certified, fellowship trained neurosurgeons at NeuroCare Long Island offer a wide range of surgical treatment options, including minimally invasive and robotic guided surgeries, for patients with back, neck and brain related conditions and have specialized expertise in the following procedures:

1Artificial Disc Replacement

Our board-certified neurosurgeons perform artificial disc replacement surgery as a motion preserving procedure where a damaged disc in either the lumbar or cervical spine is replaced with an artificial disc.

2Computer Assisted Brain Surgery
In computer-assisted brain surgery, surgeons use imaging technologies like (MRI), intraoperative MRI, CT or PET scans, to create a 3D model of your brain. Images can be created before, after or even during the procedure.
3Conservative Treatment Options

Not every case of back and/or neck pain requires surgery or can be healed with surgery. Many, if not most of our patients actually see significant improvement of their symptoms by following conservative treatment options or lifestyle changes.

Some of the most commonly use conservative treatment options for back and neck pain are:

Physical therapy does not only treat pain, it also looks for the root cause of your problem. With exercises like stretching, core strengthening, low impact aerobics, TENS stimulation and manual therapy, your physical therapist can help you get back to a pain free life and restored range of motion

Pain Management can involve recommendations for medication or injection therapy, procedures and stimulators. The neurosurgeons at SpineCare Long Island will always refer you to board-certified pain management physicians for treatment and will follow up with everyone on your care team to ensure best quality of care and optimal outcomes.

You know best what works for you. Sometimes it’s a cold pack, other times applying heat or getting a massage can help loosen up tens muscles or a light strain. Some patients find relief stretching or going for regular walks, while others rely on NSAIDs, non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs. Please discuss with your physician which of these home remedies are appropriate for your condition before giving them a try.

Chiropractic adjustment is a procedure in which trained specialists (chiropractors) use their hands or a small instrument to apply a controlled, sudden force to a spinal joint. The goal of this procedure, also known as spinal manipulation, is to improve spinal motion and improve your body's physical function.

Chiropractic adjustment is safe when it's performed by someone trained and licensed to deliver chiropractic care. Serious complications associated with chiropractic adjustment are overall rare.

Chiropractic adjustment can be effective in treating low back pain, although much of the research done shows only a modest benefit — similar to the results of more-conventional treatments. Some studies suggest that spinal manipulation may also be effective for headaches and other spine-related conditions, such as neck pain.

Not everyone responds to chiropractic adjustments. A lot depends on your particular situation. If your symptoms don't begin to improve after several weeks of treatments, chiropractic adjustment might not be the best option for you. (Source: www.mayoclinic.org)

Research has shown that acupuncture can be a successful therapy for those suffering from back and neck pain and our neurosurgeons will gladly recommend certified acupuncture therapists to you.

Dating back thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), acupuncture is based on the theory that blockages in the energy flow of the body cause illness and that inserting thin needles in to the body along certain pathways can unblock and restore the energy flow of the body.

In Western Medicine, it is believed that acupuncture stimulates the nervous system, encouraging the body to release endorphins, opioids, neurotransmitters and other substances, helping to restore emotional and physical wellness

Reducing your body weight puts less stress on your spine and your body in general. If weight loss is something you consider, please speak to you doctor or get help from a registered dietitian.

4Deformity Surgery

If conservative treatment options for scoliosis have failed, corrective surgery is the next step in bringing your spine back in line. The standard procedure for scoliosis correction is a spinal fusion. The idea is to realign and fuse together the curved vertebrae so that they heal into a single, solid bone.

Today’s technology and tools, enable our board-certified, fellowship trained neurosurgeons to improve patients’ curves significantly.

5Endoscopic Brain Surgery
Endoscopic brain surgery is a procedure used primarily to treat brain tumors. It is considered a minimally invasive brain surgery that allows neurosurgeons to identify and treat conditions deep within the brain. During the procedure, a thin tube that transmits video images of the brain is inserted through one or two small incisions in the skull or through an opening in the body. This endoscope enables the neurosurgeon to see detailed imaging of the tumor and aides as a guide for removing the tumor or repair the affected area of the patient’s brain.
6Fluorescence Guided Brain Tumor Surgery
This type of surgery uses a fluorescent substance and a special microscope to show tumor margins (edges). The substance is given by mouth and is taken up by fast-growing cells. The tumor cells light up when seen under a microscope with a special blue light. This method helps doctors remove as much tumor as possible without harming healthy tissue. Fluorescence- guided surgery is being studied in the treatment of certain types of brain tumors.
7Minimally Invasive Cranial Surgery
Minimally invasive brain surgery utilizes techniques that are performed through much smaller incisions. This type of surgery, also known as endoscopic brain surgery, is much less invasive compared to traditional brain surgery (called craniotomy).
8Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery’s goal is primarily to stabilize the vertebrae and spinal jojnts and to relieve pressure from the spinal nerves – often times a result of herniated discs, scoliosis or bone spurs. At NeuroCare Long Island we use the latest minimally invasive techniques and instrumentation to help patients recover in a shorter period of time and allow for a quicker return home.

At NeuroCare Long Island we use the latest minimally invasive techniques and instrumentation to help patients recover in a shorter period of time and allow for a quicker return home.

Benefits of minimally invasive spine surgery include:

  • Smaller incision and smaller scar
  • Less damage to tissues and muscles
  • Less blood loss
  • Less post-operative pain
  • Less painful recovery
  • Quicker return to activity

9Navigation Guided Brain Surgery
Involves using advanced neuro-navigation technology to guide surgical approaches. Using this technology allows the surgeon to know precisely when in the brain we are in real time. This makes the surgery more targeted and the approach more precise. The ultimately results in making the surgery safer and less invasive.
10Pain Procedures

Spinal Cord Stimulators disrupt the pain signals traveling between the spinal cord and the brain. Stimulation is delivered by a neurostimulator — a device similar to a pacemaker — implanted under the skin.

The impulses travel from the device to the spine over thin insulated wires called leads.

The leads deliver mild electrical impulses to an area near your spine. By interrupting pain signals between your spinal cord and your brain, the stimulator may help you get back to doing the everyday things you love most. (Source: www.medtronic.com)

11Radiosurgery
Radiosurgery, also called stereotactic radiosurgery, is a very precise form of therapeutic radiology. While it is called surgery, radiosurgery does not involve actual surgery. Instead, focused beams of radiation (gamma rays, X-rays, or protons) are used to treat cancerous tissues without a surgical incision or opening. Radiosurgery works in the same manner as other types of therapeutic radiology by destroying the DNA of tumor cells, causing them to be unable to reproduce and grow. The tumor will shrink in size over time. For blood vessel lesions, like an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), the blood vessels eventually close off after treatment. All this is done as an outpatient procedure and patients will go home after the treatment, which can last as little as 20 minutes.
12Spinal Fusion

Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure used to correct issues with the vertebrae in your spine. You can think of the process as something comparable to welding where the idea is to fuse two or more vertebrae together to create a single, solid, healthy structure

Whenever a spinal fusion is performed, a bone graft – a small piece of bone material is inserted into the spaces between the vertebrae to promote the fusion.

To give the structure more stability while the bones are fusing, metal rods and screws are put in place.

13Spinal Tumor Surgery
14Transphenoidal Resection of Pituitary and Sellar Tumors
Transphenoidal means “through the sphenoid sinus.” This minimally invasive, endoscopic surgery is performed through the nose and sphenoid sinus to remove tumors from the pituitary gland and skull base. The surgeon goes through the nostrils with a tiny endoscope camera and light to remove tumors with long instruments. Pituitary tumors can cause hormone problems and vision loss, but tumor removal often reverses vision problems and restores normal hormone balance.

Our Office Locations

West Islip

West Islip

Holbrook

Huntington