Re: WHY CANT A NEUROSURGEON OPERATE THROUGH SCAR TISSUE?

Actually, neurosurgeons do operate through scars. (Neurosurgeons are surgeons who operate on the brain and spinal and the structures around them.) They operate through scares so that they do not create additional scars. That way, there are no new scares, the skin looks better, and the skin remains strong.

There are other reasons why a neurosurgeon would not want to operate. Sometimes, if a device is left in the head or the spinal cord for a reason, it is better to leave it in forever. For example, sometimes shunts to drain fluid placed in the brain or spinal cord. If they are removed, sometimes they can cause a lot of bleeding. So they might be left in, even if they stop working.

In addition, for many conditions, it is better to use other treatments than surgery. Many types of tumors are treated with chemotherapy and radiation. Chemotherapy is the use of drugs that kill tumor cells. (Tumors occur when a part of the body starts growing more than it should.) Radiation is the use of radiation, such as X-Rays, that also kill tumor cells. Different tumors are treated different ways, depending on the location of the tumor in the brain or spinal cord, what it looks like under the microscope, and how far the tumor has spread.

Because brain tumors are rare, there is another way kids with tumors can meet other kids with tumors, camp. In most areas, there are camps for kids with brain tumors, other types of tumors and cancers.

Links:

http://www.bgsm.edu/bgsm/surg- sci/ns/education.html Neurosurgery Site at Bow Gray School of Medicine. This site has information about different types of neurosurgery.

http://www.coca-intl.org/index.html Children’s Oncology Camping Association, International. This site list many different camps for kids with cancer. Kids with brain tumors are often able to attend these camps.