If you have certain symptoms related to your brain, spine, or other nervous system parts and your primary care provider has referred you to a neurosurgeon, this means your primary care doctor is suspicious of a brain, spinal or nervous system condition. A neurosurgeon is a doctor specializing in diagnosing, preventing, and treating conditions of the nervous system.
Mere a thought of visiting a neurosurgeon can make you feel scared, confused, and overwhelmed, all of which are valid and common feelings. However, knowing what will happen during your first visit and what the neurosurgeon will do can ease your anxiety.
Let’s talk about what you can expect from seeing a neurosurgeon for the first time and where you can go in Aurora, CO, to find the best neurosurgeon.
Your First Visit to a Neurosurgeon
Your visit to a neurosurgeon will follow almost the same structure as any other doctor visit. It will be focused on getting to know you as a patient and your condition.
Typically, a visit to your neurosurgeon involves:
- Evaluation of Your Symptoms and Medical History – First, at the office of your neurosurgeon, you will be asked about your symptoms. Your neurosurgeon will ask open-ended and closed-ended questions, including:
- What are your symptoms?
- Which symptom bothers you the most?
- What increases or decreases the severity of your symptoms?
- For how long have you been experiencing these symptoms?
Additionally, your neurosurgeon also takes your complete medical history and reviews it. Since certain health conditions run in families, your neurosurgeon will also take your family health history. You will also be asked about your current medication and lifestyle habits.
- Performing Physical Examination –Physical examination plays an important role in making an accurate diagnosis. Your neurosurgeon may check you for your strength, reflexes, physical sensations, coordination, speech, and cognitive ability.
- Ordering Diagnostic Tests – Diagnostic tests like imaging and laboratory tests can help a doctor get an insight into what’s going on in a patient’s body. So, a neurosurgeon also orders some laboratory diagnostic tests like blood tests and imaging tests like X-rays, MRI, CT, Pet scans, and more to give you an accurate diagnosis.
Upon knowing the root cause of the problem related to your nervous system, your neurosurgeon will give you a diagnosis.
- Developing a Treatment Plan–After giving you a diagnosis, your neurosurgeon will develop a treatment plan consisting of surgical or nonsurgical treatments. If surgical treatment is recommended, you’ll be guided about the procedure in detail as well as the risk and benefits of it so that you can make an informed decision. Your neurosurgeon will also answer your questions related to your procedure.
Neurosurgeon in Aurora, CO
Have a nerve, spine, or cranial condition? Don’t wait another day to get the treatment you need to find relief. At Front Range Spine and Neurosurgery, our neurosurgeons are experts in treating comprehensive conditions affecting your nervous system. They are committed to providing the comprehensive, evidence-based, and highly individualized care you need to enjoy your life to its fullest.
To make an appointment with one of our outstanding neurosurgeons, call now at (303) 790-1800 or use our online form.