Neurosurgery

Head prof. Arimantas Tamašauskas, MD, PhD
Address: Eivenių Str. 2, LT-50161, Kaunas
E-mail: neurochirurgijos.klinika@kaunoklinikos.lt

Department of Neurosurgery is the National Center of Neurosurgery. The activities of the Neurosurgery department encompass practical and scientific medicine, education of students and residents, continuing professional training of medical specialist.
Currently Department of Neurosurgery consists of four units:

Neurotraumatology Unit
Spine and peripheral nerves surgery Unit
Pediatric neurosurgery Unit
Brain Surgery Unit with 4 subunits: Neurooncology, Vascular surgery, Functional neurosurgery and Skull base surgery.
Neurosurgery department provides the highest quality service for patients from all regions of Lithuania and abroad. Patients who choose our Department benefit from our experience and the most advanced medical care available. Our neurosurgeons are leaders in highly specialised areas as neurooncology, cerebrovascular disorders (aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations), brain and spinal cord tumors, microvascular compression disorders (trigeminal neuralgia, hemifacial spasm), cerebral revascularization , skull base tumors (acoustic neuromas, meningiomas), peripheral nerve surgery and degenerative disorders of the spine, functional and stereotactic neurosurgery. Our pediatric neurosurgery division, which is the only one in Lithuania, offers a range of pediatric care for trauma-related injuries, as well as treatments for complex tumors, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), hydrocephalus etc.
Neurosurgery department is well equipped with modern surgical technology and devices: intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), transportable head CT scan, neuro-navigation systems, neuro-endoscopy, water jet, neuro-echoskopy and intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring systems. Neurosurgeons perform deep brain stimulation (DBS) to treat Parkinson's disease and others movement disorders. Neurosurgeons collaborate with ENT, plastic surgeons, cardiosurgeons, ophthalmologists, maxillofacial surgeons while operating some complicated cases. Part of patients with vascular diseases are treated together with interventional radiologists by endovascular coiling and other endovascular procedures.
Neurosurgery department contains 131 beds. Health care is delivered according to European standards, evidence-based medicine is provided by highly qualified medical staff. Application of new investigation technologies optimizes patient treatment, allows the performance of most complex surgeries. More than 3500 surgeries annually are performed in the Neurosurgery department.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Since 1993 neurosurgeons defended 16 doctoral dissertations and one habilitation work. Most of them were well-rated by neurosurgeons from foreign university clinics (Harvard, West Berlin, Nagoya and others). Neurosurgery department of LUHS was evaluated by Joint Residency Advisory and Accreditation Committee (JRAAC) consisting of European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) and European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS) members and granted full accreditation as fulfilling European standards of Excellence in education in Neurosurgery.

RESEARCH

Neurosurgery department of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LUHS) collaborates with Neuroscience Institute and especially with the laboratory of Neurooncology and genetics. Since 2003 the Laboratory of Neurooncology and genetics has been carrying out scientific research on the following issue “Etiopathogenesis and molecular biomarkers of CNS Tumors: the Optimisation of Diagnosing and Treatment”. The main trends of research work are as follows: the analysis of epidemiological factors of CNS tumors and studies of clinical, etiopathogenetic, radiological factors, which play a decisive role in the course of disease. In addition to basic research, clinical trials of brain tumors, traumatic brain injuries, spinal and peripherial nerve injuries are conducted. The ongoing studies are increasingly supported by the genetic and clinical analysis of the brain tumor specimens, which are stored in the extensive Brain tissue biobank. The combination between clinic and scientific units, being unique in Lithuania, meets the organizational structure of the world’s most prominent clinics where neurosurgeons together with scientists develop scientific activities and education of students. This gives an opportunity for close cooperation between international science institutes and universities, thereby reinforcing the significance of Neurosurgery department as an informal neurosurgery center in Lithuania.