Robert R. Goodman, MD, PhD

Services Robert R. Goodman, MD, PhD Offers

Brain Tumors
A brain tumor is a growth caused by abnormal cells in the tissues of the brain. Understanding what treatment is right for you starts with understanding what kind of tumor you have. Some are benign, others malignant. These growths get their names from either the types of cells they are or from where they tend to occur.
Cerebrovascular Conditions
The Department of Neurosurgery collaborates with the Institute for Neurology and Neurosurgery (INN), a comprehensive, multidisciplinary center, to diagnose and treat various disorders of the brain's blood vessels (vascular system), including: Brain (or cerebral) aneurysm: An abnormal bulging portion of a weakened blood vessel that is located in the brain. The larger the bulging becomes, the more likely the brain aneurysm will burst and bleed into the brain. These vascular lesions can be treated with catheter techniques, open surgery or a combination of the two.
Disorders of the Spine
The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that carries messages between the brain and the rest of the body. It is protected and stabilized by the spine, a column of small bones (vertebrae) and discs. While not all spinal conditions require neurosurgery, some diseases and conditions may, including: Degenerative disease: A group of conditions that involve a loss of normal structure and function in the spine. Pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots associated with spinal degeneration may be caused by disc displacement or herniation, a narrowing of the spinal canal or arthritic breakdown at spinal joints. Surgery may eventually be necessary as a condition progresses or when there is chronic pain or loss of nerve and organ function...Read More.

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a medical condition in which a person has reoccurring seizures, often with no identifiable cause.
In most cases, the origin of epilepsy remains unknown. Sometimes epilepsy runs in families indicating a possible hereditary factor. Epilepsy has also been linked as a possible result of alcoholism, Alzheimer's disease, brain tumor, stroke, head trauma or an abnormality of brain development ("focal cortical dysplasia").
Facial Pain/Trigeminal Neuralgia
Facial pain can result from a malfunctioning of the nerves that trigger your face's movement, and can include:

Trigeminal neuralgia: Trigeminal neuralgia is a condition that usually results from blood-vessel compression of the trigeminal nerve. The trigeminal nerve is a paired cranial nerve that has three major branches: the ophthalmic nerve, the maxillary nerve and the mandibular nerve. One, two or all three branches of the nerve may be affected and pain may be felt in the ear, eye, lips, nose, scalp, forehead, cheeks, teeth, jaw or the side of the face. Described as among one of the most painful conditions known, it is estimated that trigeminal neuralgia affects 1 in 15,000 people.

Hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus is a condition that causes excessive cerebrospinal fluid to accumulate in the brain. This can result in widening of the ventricles in the brain, which can lead to potentially harmful pressure on the brain tissue. Hydrocephalus can be a congenital condition or the result of injury or disease.

Movement Disorders (Parkinson's Disease, Essential Tremor, Dystonia)
Movement disorders are a group of neurological conditions that cause abnormal, often involuntary movements, or slow, reduced movements, and often progress in severity over time. The most cutting-edge of treatment approaches considers neurological and medical management, as well as neurosurgical procedures such as deep brain stimulation to ease the severity of symptoms.

Pediatric Disorders of the Brain and Spine
The Department of Neurosurgery offers the subspecialty of pediatric neurosurgery, which provides a comprehensive program to evaluate and treat children with a range of neurosurgical disorders, including: Brain and spinal cord tumors: Like adults, there are many factors that determine the surgical treatment of nervous system tumors in children, including the nature and location of the tumor. However, there are other considerations unique to pediatric patients, such as how the tumor and treatment may affect the patient's developing brain and neurological development.

The peripheral portion of the nervous system involves the nerves that leave your brain and spinal cord and travel to the rest of your body. The peripheral nervous system carries sensory information (for instance, pain, pressure, heat and spatial awareness) to your brain. The peripheral nervous system also carries motor information from your brain and spinal cord back to the muscles of your body, including voluntary movement or involuntary function, such as breathing. There are several diseases that affect the peripheral nervous system and some are well suited to neurosurgical treatment, such as the surgical freeing of entrapped nerves.