Traumatic Brain Injuries

Traumatic injury to the brain or spinal cord can happen in an instant and it can be devastating for both the patient and loved ones. And with millions of cases every year, these traumas occur far more often that one may think. While not all trauma leads to devastating consequences or permanent disability, the risk is always there. The most common injuries involve:

• Car accidents
• Sports injuries
• Slips and falls
• Firearm violence

Critical to the successful treatment of traumatic injury is response time, as well as physician skill and experience. The highly experienced neurologists and neurosurgeons at Western Neuro and the Carondelet Neurological Institute are available 24 hours a day and seven days a week to respond to traumatic injury and the need for critical care.

Considerations of Trauma to the Brain and Spine

It is important to remember that not all symptoms of traumatic brain injury are readily visible. In some cases, there may be outward and obvious signs of trauma. In many more cases, the injury may not be noticeable. Regardless, the patient should be evaluated by a qualified physician as symptoms can appear days or even weeks after the initial trauma.

Although some trauma will invariably cause disability that cannot be avoided, early treatment and active surveillance of any injury is critical to achieving the best outcomes.

Concussions

Head trauma occurs often and does not have to be severe to cause extensive symptoms. Further, with an ever-greater number of children and adolescents playing contact sports, developing brains are at an ever-greater risk. It is, therefore, important that patients that may have experienced a concussion be referred to a medical professional for evaluation.

Neuro System Tumors

Neuro system tumors involve the abnormal growth of cells in the brain or spine. These tumors can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous) and symptoms, if any, may manifest differently in every patient. Malignant tumors in the brain may spread to other parts of the body just as tumors elsewhere can spread to the brain. Treatment is largely dependent on the origin of the tumor.

We do not know why most brain and spinal cord tumors form in adults. Nor are all tumors surgically treatable. The following are common neuro system tumors:

• Brain Tumors
• Spinal Tumors
• Gliomas