Minimally Invasive Procedures

A minimally invasive brain procedure is a procedure performed to treat a brain condition that is less invasive to the patient than an open surgical procedure used for the same purpose. Sometimes, certain brain procedures can only be performed in a minimally invasive fashion. Minimally invasive procedures usually involve accessing the brain through a tiny incision or hole. As a result, recovery from the procedure itself is usually rapid. There are two types of minimally invasive brain procedures, minimal access procedures and endovascular procedures.

Minimal access procedures involve an incision in the scalp and a small hole through the skull to target a brain condition. Sophisticated technology, called stereotaxis, is used. With stereotaxis, the surgeon is using an image of the brain with a superimposed location of the surgical instrument. This is referred to as image guided brain surgery.

Endovascular procedures are procedures performed through a tiny hole in an artery, usually the groin artery. These brain procedures involve navigating a tiny catheter from the groin artery to an artery in the brain. various brain conditions are treated by either plugging up something in the brain, like an aneurysm or a tumor, or opening up an artery, such as in the case of a stroke. The subspecialty of medicine that deals with neuroendovascular procedures is called Neurointerventional Surgery.

Los Angeles Brain and Spine Institute minimally invasive surgeons are expertly trained at nationally renowned institutions. Our Neurointerventional Surgeons have been among the local leaders in the field since 2006, adopting new procedures and clinical trials and training other surgeons.