What is Neurosurgery?

Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of the entire nervous system, composed of the brain, spinal cord and spinal column, as well as the nerves that travel through all parts of the body.  Neurosurgery has one of the longest training periods of any medical specialty due to the extreme complexity of the nervous system and the advanced techniques used in neurological operations. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, there are approximately 3500 neurosurgeons in the United States serving a population of over 299 million.