Neurologist or neurosurgeon - what's the difference?

[ptangyangkipperbang]

I've just had a CT scan and have been told by the consultant's secretary that I'm being transferred to a teaching hospital with a larger neurology department. However, she said it was to see a neurosurgeon, rather than a neurologist.

Does this mean they think I'll need surgery?

A neurologist is a bit like a doctor that specialises in diseases of the nervous system (MS etc), hands out pills rather then anything else. A neurosurgeon doesn't hand out pills, they do alot of practical things, not necessarily surgery but they do also do this.

The consultant's secretary should have explained this to you so you didn't panic. Mine pretty much confirmed that I had MS before I saw the consultant, helpful!

Thank you. I decided not to ask the secretary for further info because I could sense she was on a bit of a power trip! There's a 13 week waiting list to see anyone so I'm hoping things aren't too serious. Hope everything is okay with you.

I'm good thanks.

You can bump the list if you are willing to pay for a private initial appointment, you just tell them you want any further appointments/treatment/investigations to be on the NHS. You can get seen this week, which seems really silly to me.

Thanks Belle. I think I might just wait it out (bury my head in the sand) until the appointment comes through.

I hope it goes OK. Have they told you what they are looking for?

Be careful with going private and then wanting further treatment on the NHS. The last Government had said they were going to change the law on "top up fees" so that if you went private for something, you wouldn't then forfeit the right to follow-up NHS treatment for that issue, but it has recently come to light that this never got implemented. So if you go private and needed an operation, you could be put on the NHS waiting list for another appointment to see if you need the operation.

Hello
I have a sister who is 69 years old she has picks disease, i know there is no cure I have been told that it is aggressive, is there anything out there that is available either nhs or otherwise that can be done to slow down this disease, and is there a best person who deals in this picks disease
Thank you
Marcus

Hi Marcus
Here is one possibility to investigate link

I speak from experience of reversing my son's neurological symptoms on gluten free diet. You could try testing, but my ds was too unwell to wait so I tried a diet out of sheer desperation - it worked :)
If you are near Sheffiled I could recommend a neurologist.