Brain Surgery is used to treat a variety of conditions, such as tumours, blood clots, aneurysms, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease. It is performed by a neurosurgeon and involves an anesthesiologist with extensive knowledge of the types of anesthesia, monitoring, and post-operative care required for these sensitive operations. In some cases, this anesthesiologist will be a neuroanesthesiologist who has received advanced clinical training in anaesthesia for brain and spinal surgeries.

Some brain cancer patients are treated with stereotactic radiosurgery, which may include the use of a Gamma Knife, but this is not a surgery in the common understanding of the term, and the “knife” is not actually a knife. Radiosurgery is an external radiation treatment that does not involve an incision. Special equipment, like the brand-name Gamma Knife, precisely delivers a high dose of radiation that targets tumours or other lesions, minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.