In cases where dementia is caused by a brain tumor or hydrocephalus, surgery can sometimes relieve symptoms.
Brain Tumors
If a brain tumor is the cause of dementia, neurosurgeons in Stanford's Department of Neuroscience and Neurosurgery Clinic may be able to remove the tumor. In addition, Radiation Therapy specialists in the Stanford Cancer Center have access to cutting edge radiation therapies that make it possible to treat brain tumors that in the past would have been inoperable.
Hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus is a term to describe fluid building up on the brain. The fluid can cause pressure on different parts of the brain, leading to a variety of symptoms, including dementia.
A doctor will determine whether hydrocephalus is the cause of dementia by looking for classic signs (such as a change in the way the patient walks), and by doing brain imaging studies (such as CT and MRI scans).
Typically, treatment for hydrocephalus means surgically implanting a permanent device, called a shunt, that drains the fluid away from the brain. In addition, to implanting a shunt, a Stanford neurosurgeons can also provide you with excellent follow up care, and the other health professionals in the Neuroscience department can provide supportive care that makes preparing and recovering from surgery easier.
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