Brain, Spine and Skull Base Tumor Treatment
Carle BroMenn Medical Center neurosurgeons have extensive experience in assessing patients' needs and providing advanced neurosurgical care using the latest surgical technology and techniques. Brain and skull base tumors can be difficult for patients as well as their loved ones. Carle is here to provide the highest level of care possible. Our Neurosurgery team works to quickly identify areas of need, and subsequently manage those needs in an effective way. Our team creates custom treatment plans that not only treat the tumor itself but get our patients back into the routine of their daily lives. We are proud to offer our patients this kind of advanced care locally, in central Illinois.
Treatment options can include one or more of the following:
- Endoscopic transnasal resection of skull base tumors.
- Real-time fluorescence image-guided tumor resection.
- Resection of brain tumor near speech cortex and motor areas (using planning with diffusion tensor imaging, functional MRI).
- Awake craniotomy/brain mapping for resection of brain tumors.
- Delivery of local chemotherapy during resection of malignant brain tumors.
- Resection of complex brain tumors, including acoustic neuromas.
- High-end technology in radiation treatments including stereotactic radiosurgery and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
Patient Access to the Latest Research and Technology
Neuroscience research at Carle represents the intersection of technology, medicine, science and care. By providing our patients with the opportunity to participate in translational and clinical studies we hope to engage them in not only their own care but also the future of medicine. Our researchers and providers strive to advance diagnostic capabilities, understand causes and effects, and improve patient quality of life. Our research department supports clinicians and faculty alike in their efforts to provide excellent care and perform extraordinary science.
How do I request a referral?
If you have questions or would like a referral, talk to your primary care provider. Referring providers can submit a patient consultation request via Epic. Providers who do not use Epic should complete the Carle Neurosurgery New Patient Referral Intake Form, and fax this form along with any related records to (309) 268-6330.
Surgical and Nonsurgical Spine Services
Our team of board certified specialists in Neurosurgery and Interventional Pain work together to take care of any type of back or neck condition, from treatment of simple strains all the way to the most complex spine surgery.
Evaluating Your Pain.
Our experienced providers can evaluate your back and neck pain with a variety of diagnostic tests:
- X-rays.
- MRI.
- CT scan/myelogram.
- Electrodiagnostics.
- Bone scan.
- Discography.
Some common conditions that lead to chronic pain include:
- Herniated disks.
- Spinal stenosis.
- Degenerative disk disease.
- Osteoarthritis.
- Spondylolisthesis.
- Compression fractures.
What nonsurgical interventional pain treatment options are available?
At Carle BroMenn Medical Center, our providers emphasize the continuity of a well-managed care plan that typically includes a combination of physical therapy and injections. An individual treatment plan is developed to help you achieve maximum function - our goal is to help you back to your everyday activities. Our Interventional Pain physicians use a variety of treatment options for spinal pain including but not limited to:
- Lumbar, cervical and thoracic epidural steroid injection under fluoroscopic guidance.
- Selective nerve block.
- Spine facet nerve block and radiofrequency nerve ablation.
- Intercostal, peripheral and sympathetic nerve blocks.
- Hip, knee, shoulder joint and sacroiliac joint injection under fluoroscopy.
- Intradiscal electrotherapy (IDET), chemical neurolytic block.
Our providers focus on treating your injury by restoring skills, increasing mobility and teaching methods to prevent re-injury. Our spine specialists take a team approach to complex conditions, offering expertise from neurologists and neurosurgeons.
What surgical treatment options are available to relieve pain?
Back or neck surgery might be an option if other treatments haven't worked and your pain is disabling. Different types of surgery include:
- Spinal decompression surgery.
- A laminectomy is a surgical procedure to relieve pressure on your nerves by removing the lamina, or “bony arch,” to relieve pressure on your nerves and spinal cord by making more room in your spinal canal.
- A discectomy is the surgical removal of abnormal disk material that presses on a nerve root or the spinal cord.
- Spinal fusion surgery.
- Spinal fusion is a surgery to permanently join together two or more bones in the spine so there is no movement between them. Fusing them together can reinforce your back’s structure.
- Complex spinal reconstruction surgery.
How do I request a referral?
If you have questions or would like a referral, talk to your primary care provider. Referring providers can submit a patient consultation request via Epic. Providers who do not use Epic should complete the Carle Neurosurgery New Patient Referral Intake Form, and fax this form along with any related records to (309) 268-6330.
