Peripheral Nerve Surgery: What Is It and Why It Is Important
Peripheral nerve surgery is a type of surgery used to treat disorders of the nerves that connect the brain and spinal cord with peripheral organs, such as the heart and lungs. Peripheral nerves are the most common type of nerve fiber in your body, and they serve as pathways for signals from your brain or spinal cord to travel through your body. Peripheral nerve surgery San Bernardino may be necessary if you have a neurological disorder that affects your peripheral nervous system, such as multiple sclerosis (MS).
This condition causes you to lose some or all of the signals sent along your peripheral nerves, which can lead to problems with movement and sensation in your limbs.
Peripheral nerve surgery may also be used to treat conditions that result from injury or disease in the central nervous system (CNS). Examples include traumatic brain injuries and strokes caused by blood clots in arteries supplying oxygenated blood to the brain.
When is peripheral nerve surgery performed?
Peripheral nerve injuries may result from trauma, infection, or cancer treatments (such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy). They may also occur after an accident, such as a car accident or sports injury. The most common causes of peripheral nerve injury include:
Aneurysms: These are abnormal bulges in the wall of an artery. The most common cause of peripheral nerve injury is an aneurysm, which occurs when a section of the arterial wall grows out of control and balloons into an oversized sac. When this happens, it can rupture, causing blood to leak into the surrounding tissue.
Aneurysms are usually asymptomatic until they rupture. This can happen suddenly or slowly over time, causing varying degrees of inflammation and pain.
Tumors: Tumors can grow into your nerves and cause inflammation or injury to the nerve fibers. This causes a partial or complete loss of function for nerves that previously worked normally.
Neuropathy: Neuropathy is caused by damage to the nerves. Symptoms depend on which nerves are affected and where they are located. Common causes include diabetes, alcohol abuse, certain medications such as high blood pressure medications, HIV infection, and vitamin B12 deficiency (the body’s only known source of B12).
Spinal cord injury: Spinal cord injury can result from long-term wear and tear of the spine, trauma, or disease. The spinal cord controls all voluntary movement, such as walking. If a spinal cord injury is incomplete or incompletely healed, it can lead to weakness in muscles below the injury site (spasticity) and problems with sensation.
Why is peripheral nerve surgery important?
Peripheral nerve surgery is the best treatment option for people who have suffered a peripheral nerve injury. Peripheral nerve surgery involves removing damaged nerves and rerouting them to areas where they can be used again. This process can help patients regain movement and feeling, greatly improving their quality of life.
Peripheral nerve surgery involves repairing damaged nerves or removing scar tissue that limits blood flow to affected areas. Peripheral nerves are very small nerves located throughout your body that carry signals between the brain, spinal cord, and other body parts. Contact Ali H. Mesiwala, MD, FAANS to learn more about the surgical procedure.