Our neurology service is for patients with brain disease, spinal disease, exercise-induced weakness or collapse, and loss of vision where there is no direct eye problem and unusual or unexplained lameness.

The primary neurological diseases we see at Wear Referrals are disc disease, Ischaemic myelopathy (FCE), seizures (epilepsy), inflammatory CNS disease (meningitis, encephalitis) and tumours.

Diagnosis

Neurology services from Wear Referrals

Diagnostic procedures will be carried out after careful initial assessment during a consultation. We appreciate and encourage owners to provide video footage of abnormal behaviour, suspected seizures and weakness, as this helps us diagnose.

Further diagnostic tests include blood tests, spinal radiographs, MRI of the head and/or spine and spinal fluid analysis (CSF tap). MRI is seen as the gold standard in neuro-imaging, which is why we have an in-house MRI scanner, as most neurological cases require MRI at short notice.

Surgery

The spinal surgical procedures we perform include disc fenestration, hemi-laminectomy, dorsal laminectomy, ventral slot surgery, corpectomy surgery, vertebral distraction and/or stabilisation, arachnoid cyst surgery, spinal biopsies and surgery for Chiari-Like Malformation (Foramen Magnum Decompression).

We also perform brain surgery in patients with brain tumours, patients with intra-cranial cysts and patients with hydrocephalus.

All our neurology cases will undergo rehabilitation (in-house physiotherapy and hydrotherapy) as part of the treatment for spinal disease.

Investigations and treatments we offer

  • Spinal work-up and spinal surgery:
    • MRI, CT, myelography
    • Disc disease, spinal fractures, lumbosacral disease, cervical spondylomyelopathy, infarcts, tumours
  • Neuromuscular work-up and surgery:
    • Electrodiagnostics: electromyography and nerve conduction studies
    • Muscle and nerve biopsy
  • Intracranial work-up and surgery:
    • MRI, CT, myelography
    • Seizures – diagnosis and management of idiopathic epilepsy
    • Inflammatory brain diseases
    • Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia
    • Infarcts
    • Tumours

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