Neurological Surgery
UW Medicine Neurological Surgery in Seattle, Washington, is an international leader in the care and treatment of patients with diseases and disorders of the brain, spine and peripheral nerves.
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UW Medicine Neurological Surgery specializes in the management of acute brain or spinal trauma, vascular disease, disorders of the brain, peripheral nerves and spine.

We are located in Seattle, Washington and our UW physicians, who practice at Harborview Medical Center, UW Medical Center, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, use state-of-the art technology to ensure patients receive uncompromised care and access to the most advanced facilities and modern resources.

In addition, our well established NIH and privately funded research programs allow us to bring leading-edge advances in neurosurgery from the laboratory to the clinic and operating room.

For information about our clinical trials, conferences, residencies and fellowships, visit the Department of Neurological Surgery's website.


In The News
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Dr. Laligam Sekhar performs brain surgery
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Featured Physician
L. Duckert
Duckert, Larry G.
Dr. Duckert is a professor and clinical medical director in the UW Department of...
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Beyond the emergency room: Brain and Spine surgery at Harborview Medical Center
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Featured Article
Stereotactic Treatments for Parkinson's Disease
 Providers: Goodkin, Robert , Loeser, John D., Silbergeld, Daniel L. Last Updated: Wednesday, August 01, 2007

In Parkinson's disease, the globus pallidus is overactive, causing a decrease in the activity of another area of the brain that controls movement.  This overactivity leads to symptoms such as rigidity, movement disorders or tremors.

Pallidotomy

Pallidotomy is a surgical procedure developed in the 1950's for the treatment of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. With the introduction of medical therapy for Parkinson's disease in the 1960's, this surgical procedure became less utilized. Recently, with improvements in technology, interest in pallidotomy has resumed.

In pallidotomy, the surgeon destroys a portion of the globus pallidus by creating a scar or lesion. This lesion interrupts this overactive nerve signal transmission of the globus pallidus, reducing the brain activity in that area, which may help relieve movement symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease, as well as treat rigidity and reduce tremor.

Thalmotomy

Thalamotomy is a similar procedure to pallidotomy, however, with this procedure, a small surgical lesion is created in the thalamus, which translates and relays information to areas of the cortex. The thalamus also plays an important role in regulating states of sleep and wakefulness.
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