Despite many brain surgeons who continue to perform open surgical craniotomies (hemicraniectomy, craniectomy, partial lobectomy), advanced technology allows brain surgery specialists to approach surgical solutions at a whole new level. Stereotactic surgery, a surgical technique available in Newport Beach, Los Angeles and most of Southern California, is a minimally invasive operation able to locate small areas inside the brain with great accuracy. Likewise, Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), used in the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease, essential tremor and dystonia, has had remarkable therapeutic benefits for movement disorders resistant to traditional treatment.
SEVERAL DISEASES OF THE BRAIN AND MOVEMENT DISORDER CAN BE TREATED BY NEUROSURGERY
As a recognized neurosurgeon Dr. Duma incorporates the power of knowledge and experience with the reliability of modern technology to prevent, diagnose, treat and rehabilitate disorders which affect the nervous system (the brain, the spinal cord, peripheral nerves). Disorders he efficiently treats include:
- Brain tumor (malign and benign)
- Brain nerve pain
- Bleeding in the brain (hemorrhage)
- Blood clots in the brain (hematomas)
- Severe nerve or face pain (trigeminal neuralgia)
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Essential Tremor
- Dystonia
- Changes in cerebrospinal fluid
- Skull fracture, etc.
- Patients with seizures
MINIMALLY INVASIVE NEUROSURGICAL TECHNIQUES REVOLUTIONIZE BRAIN DISEASE TREATMENT
Ensuring the best possible accuracy during operations and achieving the ideal healing potential after brain tumor surgery is what motivates Dr. Christopher Duma. Stereotactic and minimally invasive neurosurgical procedures (such as CyberKnife radiosurgery) allow people suffering from different forms of brain damage to undergo neurosurgery while having low operational risks and quicker post-operative recovery. The procedures, which include movement disorder surgery, can be grouped into three types:
CRANIAL SURGERY
Traditional neurosurgical procedures which require the opening of the skull include:
- Cranioplasty
- Craniotomy
- Decompressive craniectomy
- Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
- Microvascular decompression
- Surgical brain tumors removal
Gamma Knife and CyberKnife radiosurgery allow Dr. Duma to treat brain tumors, meningiomas, vascular malformations, etc. without opening the skull. This is an enormous benefit of modern technology of which people living in the vicinity of Los Angeles can now take full advantage of. Even when opening the skull is necessary, stereotactic guidance reduces trauma to the body and brain of the patient.
IMMUNOTHERAPY
Included in brain procedures, immunotherapy is the treatment of diseases that induces, enhances, or suppresses an immune response. Cancer and tumors are treated with activation immunotherapy. New studies have found for example, that immunotherapy may be efficient in the treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM).
RESTORATIVE NEUROSURGERY
Procedures used in the treatment of patients with trigeminal neuralgia who no longer have a satisfactory response to medication include the Microvascular Decompression and the Stereotactic Radiosurgery (Gamma Knife). For the treatment of normal pressure hydrocephalus, a newer procedure, the placement of an implantable device (the CSF shunt) is performed.
