Neurosurgery

In depth

What a neurosurgical evaluation covers

A neurosurgical consultation at WeCare begins with the question most patients actually want answered: is surgery necessary at all? Our neurosurgeons review your imaging, examine you, and go through the treatments you have already tried. A large share of these consultations end with a non-surgical plan, coordinated with our interventional pain and rehabilitation teams under the same roof.

When surgery is indicated, the goal is the smallest procedure that solves the problem. Both of our neurosurgeons are fellowship-trained in minimally invasive and endoscopic technique, operating through incisions measured in millimeters rather than opening the muscle layers that traditional surgery divides. For most patients that means less post-operative pain, a shorter hospital stay or none at all, and a faster return to normal activity.

Conditions we treat surgically

• Herniated and bulging discs causing nerve compression
• Spinal stenosis and neurogenic claudication
• Degenerative disc disease and spondylolisthesis
• Cervical and lumbar radiculopathy
• Myelopathy and spinal cord compression
• Failed back surgery syndrome and revision cases
• Spinal tumors and congenital spinal conditions
• Peripheral nerve compression, including carpal tunnel syndrome

Procedures our neurosurgeons perform

Minimally invasive decompression. Microdiscectomy and laminectomy performed through a tubular retractor to relieve pressure on a compressed nerve root or the spinal cord, preserving the surrounding muscle and ligament.

Endoscopic spine surgery. A camera-guided approach through an incision under an inch, used for selected disc herniations and stenosis. Both lumbar and cervical endoscopic techniques are performed here, and our physicians teach these techniques to other surgeons.

Artificial disc replacement. Rather than fusing two vertebrae together, a motion-preserving implant maintains movement at the treated level. Dr. Shiau was among the first neurosurgeons in the region to perform these procedures.

Spinal fusion and instrumentation. When instability is the underlying problem, fusion stabilizes the segment. Modern percutaneous instrumentation places screws through small incisions rather than a long open exposure.

Endoscopic carpal tunnel release. A small-incision approach to relieving median nerve compression at the wrist, typically performed as a same-day procedure.

Same-day ambulatory surgery

The majority of procedures our neurosurgeons perform are ambulatory: you arrive in the morning and recover at home the same day. This is possible because of the techniques used rather than a shortcut in care, and it avoids the deconditioning and infection risk that accompany longer hospital stays. Your surgeon will tell you plainly when an overnight stay is the safer option.

Second opinions

If another surgeon has recommended spine surgery and you want an independent read, our neurosurgeons provide second opinion consultations. You will get a direct assessment of whether the proposed operation is the right one, whether a less invasive option exists, and what happens if you wait.