Neurosurgery
The Department of Neurosurgery surgically treats diseases affecting the brain and spinal cord, i.e., the central and peripheral nervous system. As these nervous systems are extremely complex and delicate, neurosurgery requires more expertise than any other specialties, and cutting-edge equipment is often utilized. We perform more than 3,500 procedures annually for brain tumors, cerebrovascular diseases, spinal cord diseases, pediatric neurologic diseases, and functional brain disorders. In the field of brain tumors, over 20,000 outpatients visit our department, and we perform over 1,500 procedures annually. We seek the safest and most effective approach using the latest devices such as a neuronavigation system and neuroendoscopy. We have recently fitted an intra-operative CT-device dedicated for use in the operating room, and are using it effectively to have a more accurate surgical approach and to prevent post-operative complications.
During surgery, we use neuromonitoring to monitor the neurologic condition of our patients in real time to minimize post-operative complications. In addition to our clinical practice, we are in the process of conducting basic research for the treatment of brain tumors and publishing the results in prestigious academic journals. We use a gamma knife to effectively treat tumors that cannot be surgically removed, or in case additional treatment is needed after surgery, and since the introduction of the state-of-the-art Perfexion™ equipment in 2010, even more effective treatment has become possible. For cerebrovascular diseases, we perform over 600 procedures annually for patients with hemorrhagic and ischemic cerebrovascular diseases. This surgery include clipping of cerebral aneurysms, direct or indirect vascular anastomosis, and endovascular coil embolization.
We use intra-operative real-time, motor-evoked potential/somatosensory-evoked potential monitoring during cerebral aneurysm surgery, and have maintained the occurrence of severe complications, such as post-operative paralysis at less than 1%, which is very low even on a global standard. We have established a 24-hour response system for the treatment of acute strokes, and are collaborating with the Departments of Neurology, Radiology, and Rehabilitation Medicine to provide the best patient-centered medical care. We perform more than 500 procedures annually for spinal nerve diseases including not only discectomy, decompression, and interbody fusion, but also highly difficult surgery, such as for spinal tumors. For functional brain disorders, we perform over 200 microvascular decompression procedures annually for hemifacial spasm and trigeminal neuralgia, with a cure rate of over 95%, and maintain excellent treatment results in over 100 cases of surgery for epilepsy and deep brain stimulation to control epileptic attacks and enhance motor functions.