The Neurosurgery Department at Boston Medical Center has extensive experience in the diagnosis and management of a broad range of cerebrovascular disorders:

  • Aneurysm
  • Arteriovenous malformation
  • Subarachnoid hemorrhage
  • Ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage
  • Carotid stenosis

Aneurysms are bulging areas of weakened arteries. Arteriovenous malformations are tangles of thin-walled blood vessels. The danger with both of these conditions is that they can rupture and cause hemorrhage, which may lead to stroke, brain damage or death. Our neurosurgeons use a multidisciplinary, team-based approach, state-of-the-art facilities and equipment and the latest surgical and minimally invasive techniques to accurately diagnose your cerebrovascular disorder and design a treatment plan that is individualized to your unique circumstances. We strive to create an environment in which you feel secure and comfortable by fully explaining your condition and treatment options and by listening carefully to you and your family members. We also coordinate follow-up care, if appropriate, including any rehabilitation and follow-up imaging or treatment.

We take a collaborative approach to ensure you receive the treatment that is right for you. We use the latest diagnostic imaging, such as CT angiogram and catheter-based conventional angiography as well as CT angiography which avoids the risks of catheter techniques, to quickly and accurately diagnose your condition. Our treatments for aneurysms can include open operation (clipping), which involves placing a clamp on the neck of the aneurysm. In addition, we offer non-surgical endovascular treatments including the use of wire coils to obliterate aneurysms or glue material to plug the abnormal vessels in an arteriovenous malformation. During a coiling procedure, a catheter (long, thin tube) is introduced through an artery in the leg and advanced to the site of the aneurysm. Once in place, coils are injected through the catheter and into the aneurysm, blocking blood flow. Boston Medical Center is also one of the few facilities in New England that offers the Cyberknife®, a noninvasive radiosurgical treatment for abnormalities that cannot be reached safely by conventional surgical techniques.

Severe cases of cerebrovascular disease can cause significant brain injury, confronting patients and their families with challenges of disability and long-term rehabilitation. We stay with you every step of the way, through any necessary rehabilitation and follow-up, providing ongoing care. Our neurosurgeons will coordinate with our rehabilitation facility within the hospital or with one of many rehabilitation centers with which we have a relationship. We will work closely with physical and occupational therapists to monitor your progress and arrange follow-up imaging procedures and evaluation.

Our Specialist

Dr. James Holsapple specializes in cerebrovascular neurosurgery and aneurysms.

Departments and Programs Who Treat This Condition

department

Neurosurgery

The Department of Neurosurgery at Boston Medical Center is a full- service clinical and academic program that provides advanced treatment for patients with a broad spectrum of dis…