Because of advances in neuroscience and the highly trained neurosurgeons and staff who work at St. Vincent, people who suffer strokes, head and spinal cord injuries are often able to resume active, productive lives. Neuroscience specialists at St. Vincent Healthcare use the most advanced technology available in diagnosing and treating people with neurological injuries.

At St. Vincent, neurosurgeons utilize state-of-the-art technology to operate with unparalleled accuracy. Image Guided Surgery (IGS) unites medical technology with technologies originally developed for global positioning satellites. It gives surgeons precise information that allows him or her to provide thorough treatment of the problem while disturbing as little healthy tissue as possible. IGS technology allows us to bring the highest level of care to this region.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Vagus Nerve Stimulation is a new approach to the treatment of some seizures that can't be controlled with medications. Similar to a pacemaker that controls heart problems, the vagus nerve stimulator sends electrical signals to the brain through the vagus nerve in your neck. Your physician programs the pacemaker-like generator to send the electrical signals automatically. If you or a family member senses a seizure coming on, a small magnet can be passed over the generator for an extra "dose" of electrical stimulation.

The pacemaker-like generator and lead wires are placed under the skin in the chest and the neck ? the surgical procedure does not involve the brain and is not brain surgery.

Deep Brain Stimulation

Deep Brain Stimulation is a new treatment for Parkinson's Disease. A "pacemaker" for the brain uses mild electrical stimulation to block the brain signals that cause symptoms such as tremor, slowness of movement and rigidity. The pacemaker is surgically placed under the collar bone and is connected to electrodes that are placed in the brain. It is intended primarily for people who no longer get symptom relief from medications or who cannot tolerate the side effects of medications.