What does neurosurgery mean?
Neurosurgery is the branch of surgery focused on the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. It covers operative treatment of conditions including tumours, trauma, vascular abnormalities, and some movement or seizure disorders. In hospital and academic settings, the term usually names the medical specialty and the department that provides it, but it can also refer to an individual operation. "Brain surgery" is familiar shorthand, though neurosurgery also includes spinal and peripheral nerve procedures. The word is formal and clinical; ordinary speakers may use it simply to mean an operation on the brain, especially in news reports about difficult or unusual cases. Neurosurgery is distinguished from neurology by its emphasis on surgical treatment. It can involve microsurgery, image guidance, and complex decisions about whether operating is safer than continuing conservative care. Because it addresses the nervous system, its consequences can affect movement, sensation, speech, memory, and consciousness.
nounThe branch of surgery concerned with treating disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves, including conditions such as tumours, traumatic injuries, and vascular abnormalities.
- The medical specialty and practice of surgically treating disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves.
"The surgeon specialized in neurosurgery and spent her career treating rare neurological disorders."
"She underwent emergency neurosurgery after a ruptured aneurysm caused severe bleeding in her brain."
"The hospital opened a new department of neurosurgery equipped for complex spinal operations."
The plural is uncommon and is used mainly for individual operations or distinct instances of surgical treatment.
"The hospital performed several complex neurosurgeries last year."
Modern neurosurgery can operate on tissue only millimetres from speech, movement, memory, and consciousness.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does neurosurgery come from?
The first element comes from Greek neuron, meaning "nerve" or "nerve cell," while surgery continues the Latin surgere, meaning "to cut or excise," through Latin chirurgia and Greek kheirourgia, meaning "hand-work." The compound emerged as operative techniques for nervous-system disorders developed during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It belongs to a family that includes neurology, neurosurgeon, neuroscience, and neuropathy, all sharing the Greek neuro- element.
Related word forms
How neurosurgery is actually used
The term is formal and clinical. In general conversation, "brain surgery" is sometimes used as shorthand, although it does not cover all the areas included in neurosurgery.
Easily confused with neurosurgery
Neurology diagnoses and treats nervous-system disorders, while neurosurgery performs operations on the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves.