Duke Health Blog
Neurosurgery
Learn about the innovative approaches employed by Duke neurosurgeons to treat people with a variety of conditions, from brain cancer to spinal deformities.
What You Need to Know About Deep Brain Stimulation for Epilepsy
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) for epilepsy uses electrical impulses to prevent and reduce seizure severity and frequency, but is it right for you? Here, Duke He ...
What You Need to Know About Deep Brain Stimulation for Movement Disorders
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgical therapy for movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor. Electrodes are placed into central par ...
Unruptured Brain Aneurysm: Know the Symptoms and When to Seek Care
A ruptured brain aneurysm can be deadly, but most people don’t realize they have a brain aneurysm until it’s too late. That’s because unruptured brain aneurysm ...
Young Man Gets Driver’s License After Epilepsy Surgery Eliminates Seizures
Hampstead, NC native Harvey Squires was diagnosed with epilepsy at 14 years old. As his seizures worsened, Harvey’s parents sought care for him from doctors ac ...
Hemispherectomy Cures Epilepsy in Young Girl, Now Thriving
Ela Allam was diagnosed with epilepsy at age three and started taking anti-seizure medications. As Ela grew, her seizures became more frequent and more dangero ...
Chiari Malformation Symptoms Improve After Minimally Invasive Brain Surgery at Duke
Kendra Gerlach was used to chronic headaches; she’d had them since childhood. In May 2022, the 50-year-old, Richmond, VA resident experienced a headache so exc ...
HIFU for Essential Tremor Reduces Shaking
If you’ve been diagnosed with essential tremor and medication is not doing enough to control your involuntary shaking, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ...
Minimally Invasive Procedure Corrects Vein of Galen Malformation
During a routine ultrasound, Amanda Brown, age 29, learned her unborn baby had a rare brain abnormality called a vein of Galen malformation, which can cause de ...
Duke Experts Perform Successful Brain Surgery for Moyamoya
As a college student in Greenville, SC, Marcie O’Neill began experiencing headaches, vision changes, numbness, and speech problems. After a trip to her local h ...
Awake Surgery for Endovascular Brain Aneurysm Repair Lowers Risks, Speeds Recovery
After being diagnosed with an unruptured brain aneurysm in fall 2021, Bridget Esposito learned she needed brain surgery to prevent a life-threatening rupture. ...
Runner Competes in Marathon After Eyebrow Craniotomy for Brain Aneurysm
A morning run turned scary for Hillary Lockemer in July 2012, when the then 32-year-old suddenly became weak and passed out. Doctors diagnosed her with a ruptu ...
Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery Relieves Parkinson’s Symptoms in Air Force Colonel
Paul Brezinski was only 37 when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Within eight years, his tremors made life so difficult that he traveled from his hom ...