Ascension Columbia St. Mary's - Neurosurgery

Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Neurosurgery in Milwaukee, WI, deliver care for brain, spine and nerve disorders.

Care for back and neck conditions and injuries

Getting the right neurosurgical care at the right time is critical for your health. Our doctors and care teams are here to help you get the care you need, when you need it. Our neurosurgeons at Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital - Milwaukee Campus in Wisconsin diagnoses and treats brain, spine and peripheral nerve conditions. We offer care options including non-surgical treatment, minimally invasive surgery and complex neurosurgical care.

Our specialists listen to understand you and your health concerns. Then, we create a personalized care plan to help you get back to what you love. We provide nonsurgical and surgical treatments for conditions affecting the lower back, such as:

  • Cauda equina syndrome
  • Herniated disc
  • Low back pain
  • Lumbar spinal stenosis
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Vertebral fracture (compression fracture) 
  • Sacroiliac dysfunction 
  • Sciatica and lumbar radiculopathy 
  • Spinal tumors 

Surgery is not always the first treatment option. Whenever possible, we recommend conservative treatments, including steroid injections for pain management, physical therapy and acupuncture to help reduce numbness, weakness and pain. When surgery is recommended, our surgeons use advanced image-guided technology. 

Minimally invasive treatments include:

  • Lumbar microdiscectomy
  • Lumbar fusion
  • Sacroiliac fusion

Other surgery options include:

  • Anterior lumbar fusion
  • Lumbar laminectomy
  • Interspinous space (coflex)
  • Posterior lumbar fusion

Neurosurgeons also specialize in cervical spine conditions affecting your neck. We use diagnostic imaging and functional neurological tests to detect the cause of your pain, weakness or numbness. 

We also treat additional conditions affecting the spine and neck, including: 

  • Spinal Arteriovenous malformations (AVM)
  • Herniated disc
  • Cervical myelopathy
  • Cervical radiculopathy 
  • Vertebral fracture
  • Neck pain
  • Osteoarthritis 
  • Spinal cord injury (including central cord syndrome)
  • Spinal infections
  • Spinal pain
  • Spinal tumor

Your treatment plan for these conditions may include: 

  • Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF)
  • Cervical artificial discs
  • Cervical laminoplasty
  • Posterior cervical fusions
  • Posterior cervical laminectomy

Neurosurgical care for brain tumors and other brain conditions

Neurosurgeons provide personalized care for conditions that affect your brain, including vascular malformations, intracranial bleeds, brain tumors and other conditions. Our goal is to improve your quality of life. We provide a network of neurosurgical services, including diagnostic imaging, neurologic evaluations, surgical intervention and neurorehabilitation therapies. 

We provide advanced care for many brain conditions, including: 

Vascular brain conditions:

  • Arteriovenous malformation (AVM)
  • Cavernous malformation

Intracranialbleeds:

  • Epidural hemorrhage
  • Intracerebral hemorrhage
  • Subarachnoid hemorrhage
  • Subdural hemorrhage

Brain tumors:

  • Astrocytoma
  • Brain metastasis
  • Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM)
  • Oligodendroglioma
  • Meningioma
  • Neurofibroma

Other brain conditions:

  • Chiari malformation
  • Aqueductal stenosis
  • Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks
  • Normal pressure hydrocephalus
  • Skull fractures

Other conditions and treatments 

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Cubital tunnel syndrome
  • Baclofen/pain pump
  • Spinal cord stimulator
  • Vagal nerve stimulator

If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, go directly to the ER or call 911. Getting the right care at the right time is critical for your health.