Neurosurgery

The Complex Operative Unit of Neurosurgery (C.O.U.) provides inpatient and outpatient care for patients with conditions affecting the central and peripheral nervous system. The unit handles both elective and emergency cases, offering services through routine hospitalization, emergency admissions, day surgery, and day service programs. It also delivers specialized outpatient care.

Each year, the unit performs over 1,000 surgical procedures across multiple disciplines, including:

Oncological Neurosurgery

Oncological Neurosurgery addresses the full spectrum of benign and malignant tumors of the brain and spine, treating both adult and pediatric patients. Conditions managed include meningiomas, schwannomas, epidermoid cysts, pituitary adenomas and craniopharyngiomas, ependymomas, hemangiomas and hemangioblastomas, gliomas, and metastases.

Vascular Neurosurgery

Vascular Neurosurgery specializes in the treatment of vascular malformations involving the brain and spine, such as aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs), and cavernous angiomas.

Trauma and Emergency Neurosurgery

Trauma and Emergency Neurosurgery manages cranio-cerebral and vertebro-medullary traumatic injuries, including epidural, subdural, and intracerebral hematomas; spinal fractures and spondylolisthesis; subarachnoid hemorrhages; cranial and spinal decompressions; and intracranial hypertension caused by hemorrhagic, traumatic, or oncological brain lesions.

Spinal Neurosurgery

Spinal Neurosurgery focuses on degenerative spine conditions, such as disc herniations, myelopathies, stenosis, and spondylolisthesis, as well as traumatic spine injuries like fractures and spondylolisthesis. Treatment options include surgical techniques (stabilization procedures, pedicle screw fixations, interbody fusion, and anterior or posterior decompressions) and conservative methods (e.g., Halo-Vest application).

Minimally Invasive and Endoscopic Neurosurgery

Minimally invasive and endoscopic neurosurgery focuses on the treatment of pituitary adenomas and craniopharyngiomas using advanced endoscopic techniques via a transsphenoidal approach. It also addresses hydrocephalus (both congenital and acquired) in pediatric and elderly patients through minimally invasive endoscopic procedures.

Neurochirurgia malformativa

La Neurochirurgia Malformativa, tratta la Sindrome di Chiari, l'Idrocefalo connatale e secondario, l'idrocefalo normoteso, e le malformazioni cranio-spinali.

Quella funzionale utilizza tecniche di modulazione elettrica (termorizotomia percutanea) e neurochirurgia a cielo aperto, per migliorare quei sintomi neurologici motori e sensitivi legati prevalentemente a conflitti neurovascolari (nevralgia del trigemino).

Pain Management Therapy

La Terapia Antalgica, affronta quelle problematiche spinali non responsive a trattamento conservativo, né inquadrabili chirurgicamente mediante l'utilizzo di radiofrequenze o terapia farmacologica del dolore e tratta la nevralgia del trigemino mediante la termocoagulazione.

Additional Resources

All surgical procedures are performed using the most advanced and state-of-the-art techniques:

Microsurgery with a surgical microscope or 3D digital exoscope on a 4K monitor: These tools provide detailed visualization of deep anatomical structures, enabling enhanced precision, thorough tumor resection, and accurate identification of brain tumors in critical areas.
Intraoperative videoangiography with indocyanine green (ICG): This technique assesses the success of aneurysm clipping, excision of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), and removal of cavernous angiomas.
Microfluorescence with 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA): This method allows for greater surgical radicality, thereby improving survival rates in patients with brain gliomas.
Intraoperative neurophysiology and awake surgery: Conducted in collaboration with neurophysiologists and psychologists, these techniques aim to minimize postoperative neurological deficits in cases involving tumors and vascular malformations located in eloquent brain regions.

The Complex Operative Unit (C.O.U.) of Neurosurgery actively engages in clinical, surgical, and experimental collaborations with:

Pathology and Molecular Biology Departments for research into malignant tumor growth and development, enabling the implementation of advanced therapies.
Interventional Neuroradiology Services to optimize the management of vascular malformations using both surgical and endovascular approaches.
Oncology and Radiotherapy Departments for multidisciplinary adjuvant therapies in tumor management.
ISBReMIT (Institute for Stem-Cell Biology, Regenerative Medicine, and Innovative Therapies): Conducting experimental research on brain gliomas, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and Multiple Sclerosis (MS), including stem cell transplantation into the cervical spinal cord in preclinical animal models.
Huntington’s Disease and Rare Diseases Research and Care Unit: Supporting experimental studies on Huntington’s Disease, including Roche’s GenerationHD1 and HDClarity projects.
University of Messina as part of its training network.
University of Chieti: Leading experimental studies on the application of high-resolution thermography in neurosurgery (INSIdE project).

The unit provides the following outpatient neurosurgical services:

Initial consultations and follow-up visits.
Wound care and suture removal.
Pre-hospitalization assessments, including preoperative anesthetic evaluations.
External hospital consultations.

The unit participates in major national and international neurosurgical conferences, presenting original research and clinical advancements. It also contributes to scientific dissemination through publications (PubMed) and academic networks:

Training Network until 2005: Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome.

Current Training Network: University of Messina.

Head of Operative Unit:

Operative Unit Contacts

Secretariat: 0882 410688
Nursing Station: 0882 410662 - 0883 410663
Treatment Room: 0882 410660 - 0882 410661
Outpatient Appointment Scheduling:
0882 416888 - 0882 416373 (private practice)

0882 416888 (public clinic)