How do I know if I need a neurosurgeon?

You do not have to be sent by another doctor to see me — many patients book directly — but a referral letter and any relevant scans make the first appointment much more productive.

The clearest indication for a neurosurgical opinion is a scan showing a lesion that may need surgery: a brain tumour, an aneurysm, a large disc herniation, spinal stenosis with weakness, or hydrocephalus.

The other clear indication is a set of symptoms that are getting worse despite conservative treatment: leg or arm weakness, loss of bladder or bowel control, worsening headaches with vomiting, new seizures, or progressive numbness.

Persistent back or neck pain alone, without neurological symptoms, is usually managed first by a GP, physiotherapist or pain specialist. It becomes a neurosurgical question when nerve compression develops or when conservative treatment has genuinely failed after several months.

If you are unsure, ask your GP or send my rooms a short summary and your scan report. We will tell you honestly whether a consultation is worthwhile.