Frequently Asked Questions
Comprehensive answers regarding brain & spine surgeries, tumor treatments, neurovascular procedures, scan reviews, and consultation bookings.
Dr. Rajesh Reddy holds outpatient consultations at American Oncology / Citizens Multispecialty Hospitals, Nallagandla, Hyderabad. Please call 079951 11695 or use the Dr. Reddy's Neuro Care app on Google Play to check current clinic days and timings, as schedules are updated periodically.
Appointments can be booked in two ways: (1) Call the clinic directly at 079951 11695, or (2) Download the Dr. Reddy's Neuro Care app on Google Play — the app allows you to book appointments, share medical reports, and request video consultations from anywhere in India.
Yes. Video consultations are available through the Dr. Reddy's Neuro Care app. Patients from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and North East India regularly use this facility for initial consultations and follow-up reviews without needing to travel.
You can share your MRI films, CT scans, and reports via the Dr. Reddy's Neuro Care app. Dr. Rajesh Reddy reviews imaging and provides a second opinion, typically within a few working days. Please include the original radiology report and any clinical notes from your referring doctor.
For non-emergency cases, Dr. Rajesh Reddy's team typically reviews shared scans and provides a response within 2–3 working days. For urgent cases — such as a recent diagnosis of a brain tumor, acute neurological deficit, or suspected aneurysm — please call the clinic directly for priority review.
Yes. Dr. Rajesh Reddy accepts emergency neurosurgical cases and transfers from referring hospitals across the region. For acute emergencies — subarachnoid haemorrhage, stroke requiring mechanical thrombectomy, acute spine cord compression, or head injury — call the emergency helpline.
Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) uses small incisions (typically 1–2 cm) and specialised retractors to access the spine without cutting through large muscle groups. Compared to traditional open surgery, MISS results in significantly less blood loss, lower infection risk, shorter hospital stay (often 1–2 days), less post-operative pain, and faster return to normal activity. Dr. Rajesh Reddy performs endoscopic discectomy, percutaneous pedicle screw fixation, and vertebroplasty/kyphoplasty using minimally invasive approaches.
Hospital stay depends on the tumor type, surgical approach, and the patient's recovery. For endoscopic pituitary surgery: typically 2–3 days. For keyhole craniotomy (meningioma, metastasis): 3–5 days. For larger resections (glioma, awake craniotomy): 5–7 days. Patients are typically walking within 24–48 hours of surgery. Dr. Rajesh Reddy will give you a specific estimate based on your tumor type and planned procedure at the pre-operative consultation.
Awake craniotomy is a surgical technique in which the patient is kept awake and interactive during the tumor removal phase — while the skull is open — allowing the surgical team to map and protect critical brain functions in real time. It is used for tumors located near or within areas of the brain responsible for speech, language, or movement. Dr. Rajesh Reddy uses direct cortical and subcortical stimulation mapping, with a dedicated speech therapist and neuroanaesthesiologist present throughout. Most patients find the experience far more manageable than they anticipated.
The risk of recurrence depends on the tumor type and grade. Benign tumors such as meningiomas, when completely resected, have a 10-year recurrence rate of approximately 10–20%. High-grade gliomas (GBM) almost always recur despite optimal treatment. This is why post-operative MRI surveillance is mandatory — typically at 3–4 weeks (for gliomas), then 3–6 monthly for high-grade tumors, and annually for benign tumors. Dr. Rajesh Reddy will define the surveillance schedule specific to your tumor type.
A slipped disc occurs when the soft inner gel of a spinal disc (the nucleus pulposus) protrudes through the outer fibrous ring and compresses adjacent spinal nerves. Most cases resolve with physiotherapy, pain management, and rest over 6–12 weeks. Surgery is recommended when: (1) there is severe or progressive neurological deficit (weakness, sensory loss), (2) bladder or bowel function is affected (an emergency), (3) pain is intractable despite 6 weeks of conservative treatment. Dr. Rajesh Reddy performs endoscopic and microscopic discectomy with same-day or overnight admission in most cases.
Mechanical neck pain — from muscle spasm, posture, or minor disc degeneration — typically improves with physiotherapy, anti-inflammatories, and rest. You should see a neurosurgeon when neck pain is accompanied by: numbness, tingling, or weakness radiating into the arms; difficulty with fine hand movements (buttoning shirts, writing); unsteady walking; or bladder/bowel changes. These symptoms suggest nerve root or spinal cord compression requiring urgent imaging (MRI cervical spine) and neurosurgical evaluation.
Dr. Rajesh Reddy treats the full spectrum of brain tumors: gliomas (including GBM), meningiomas (including skull base and foramen magnum meningiomas), pituitary adenomas (Cushing's disease, acromegaly, prolactinomas, non-functioning adenomas), vestibular schwannomas, trigeminal schwannomas, craniopharyngiomas, colloid cysts, ependymomas, medulloblastomas, metastatic brain tumors, and others. He uses fluorescence-guided resection (Sodium Fluorescein and 5-ALA), neuronavigation, awake craniotomy, and endoscopic approaches depending on tumor type.
Fluorescence-guided surgery uses special dyes that make brain tumor cells glow under specific light wavelengths in the operating microscope — allowing the surgeon to distinguish tumor tissue from normal brain in real time. Dr. Rajesh Reddy uses Sodium Fluorescein (which glows bright yellow under the YELLOW 560 filter — the agent more commonly used in India) and 5-ALA (which glows pink-red) for high-grade glioma surgery. This technology significantly improves the completeness of tumor removal.
Yes — endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery is performed entirely through the nostrils, using a thin high-definition endoscope navigated through the nasal cavity and sphenoid sinus to reach the pituitary gland. There is no scalp incision and no visible scar. Nasal sponges are placed at the end of the procedure and removed 24–48 hours later — during this period, patients breathe through the mouth. A small 1–2 cm incision on the outer thigh is made to harvest a fat graft used to seal the skull base — this heals quickly and leaves a minimal scar.
Mechanical thrombectomy — a catheter-based procedure to physically remove a blood clot from a blocked brain artery — is the most effective treatment for large vessel occlusion ischaemic stroke. The established treatment window is up to 24 hours from symptom onset (or from last-known-well time) in appropriately selected patients. However, outcomes are dramatically better the earlier treatment is performed — ideally within 6 hours. If you suspect someone is having a stroke (FAST: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call emergency services), call 108 immediately.
Endovascular coiling is a minimally invasive procedure that treats brain aneurysms without opening the skull. A thin catheter is passed from a small puncture in the groin through the blood vessels to the aneurysm in the brain. Soft platinum coils are then deployed into the aneurysm sac, causing it to clot and seal off from the circulation — eliminating the risk of rupture or re-bleeding. There is no craniotomy, no scalp incision, and recovery is typically 1–3 days for unruptured aneurysms. Dr. Rajesh Reddy is one of the few Hybrid neurosurgeons in Hyderabad with a dedicated Fellowship in Interventional Neuroradiology (Zurich) and performs coiling, flow diversion, and stent-assisted coiling.
Flow diversion (using devices such as the Pipeline Embolisation Device, FRED, Surpass, Silk, p64, or Derivo) is an advanced endovascular technique used for large, giant, wide-neck, or fusiform aneurysms where conventional coiling is insufficient. A high-mesh stent is deployed in the parent artery across the aneurysm neck, redirecting blood flow away from the aneurysm and causing progressive thrombosis over weeks to months — achieving aneurysm cure through biological healing rather than mechanical filling. Complete occlusion rates of 85–93% at 12 months make it the most effective treatment for complex aneurysms.
Not necessarily. An incidentally discovered brain aneurysm does not require emergency treatment. The management decision depends on the aneurysm's size, location, shape, and your individual risk factors. Small aneurysms (< 5mm) in low-risk locations in older patients may be safely observed with regular MRI surveillance. Larger, irregular, or growing aneurysms — particularly in younger patients or smokers — are more likely to warrant treatment. Dr. Rajesh Reddy uses validated scoring tools (PHASES score, UIATS) to provide an individualised, evidence-based recommendation. You have time to make a considered decision.
Carotid artery stenting is a minimally invasive endovascular procedure to treat narrowing (stenosis) of the carotid arteries — the main blood vessels supplying the brain. Significant carotid stenosis (typically > 70%) increases the risk of stroke by causing blood clots or reduced flow to the brain. Under X-ray guidance, a stent is deployed within the carotid artery to widen it and restore normal blood flow. It is an alternative to surgical carotid endarterectomy in selected patients and is performed as a day or overnight procedure. Dr. Rajesh Reddy performs both carotid stenting and endarterectomy.
An AVM is an abnormal tangle of blood vessels that connects arteries directly to veins, bypassing the normal capillary bed. AVMs can bleed (haemorrhagic stroke), cause seizures, headaches, or progressive neurological deficits. Treatment options include endovascular embolisation (blocking the AVM's blood supply through a catheter), microsurgical resection (open surgery), and stereotactic radiosurgery — often used in combination. Dr. Rajesh Reddy manages complex AVMs using his combined endovascular and microsurgical expertise, including flow-related aneurysms on AVM feeding arteries.
These are three distinct spinal conditions that can cause back pain and leg symptoms. A lumbar disc prolapse (slipped disc) occurs when disc material presses on a nerve root, causing sciatica (leg pain, numbness, weakness). Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal — usually from bone and ligament changes in older patients — causing leg pain and weakness on walking that improves with rest ('neurogenic claudication'). Spondylolisthesis is a forward slipping of one vertebra over another, causing back pain, instability, and nerve compression. Each requires different surgical approaches. Dr. Rajesh Reddy will advise on the most appropriate treatment after MRI review.
Endoscopic spine surgery — whether for a disc prolapse (endoscopic discectomy) or spinal decompression — is performed through incisions of 7–15 mm under local or general anaesthesia. Most patients are discharged within 24 hours. Light activity resumes within 1–2 weeks. Return to desk work is typically possible within 2–4 weeks, and physically demanding work within 6–12 weeks depending on the procedure. Physiotherapy is recommended from week 2 to rebuild core strength and prevent recurrence.
Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are minimally invasive procedures for vertebral compression fractures — most commonly caused by osteoporosis in elderly patients or trauma. Under X-ray guidance, bone cement is injected into the fractured vertebra to stabilise it and relieve pain. In kyphoplasty, a balloon is first inflated to restore the vertebra's height before cement injection. Both are day procedures with immediate pain relief in most patients. Dr. Rajesh Reddy performs both procedures percutaneously (through small needle punctures) without any open incision.
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is the gold standard for brain tumor diagnosis and surgical planning. It provides much greater detail of soft tissues, tumor margins, and surrounding brain structures compared to CT. A brain MRI with contrast (gadolinium) should be requested. CT scans are useful in emergency situations (suspected bleeding) and for detecting bony involvement. If you have already had a CT and a brain tumor is suspected, an MRI is the next essential step. Dr. Rajesh Reddy can review either scan and advise on whether additional sequences (fMRI, DTI, MR spectroscopy) are needed for treatment planning.
CT angiography (CTA) is the standard first-line investigation for suspected brain aneurysm — it provides a rapid three-dimensional map of the cerebral blood vessels and can detect aneurysms as small as 2–3mm. MR angiography (MRA) is used for non-emergency screening and surveillance — no radiation, no contrast injection. Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) is the gold standard for aneurysm characterisation before treatment — providing the highest resolution imaging of the aneurysm neck, dome geometry, and parent artery anatomy. Dr. Rajesh Reddy performs DSA himself as part of his integrated endovascular practice.
Please bring: (1) All imaging — MRI/CT films and digital copies (CD/USB) along with the radiology report, (2) Previous treatment records, discharge summaries, and operation notes if you have had prior surgery, (3) Current medication list, (4) Referral letter from your treating doctor if available, (5) List of your questions and concerns. If sharing imaging electronically for a remote consultation, please upload the DICOM files (not just JPEGs) through the Dr. Reddy's Neuro Care app for the most accurate image quality.
Yes. Modern platinum coils used for brain aneurysm coiling and titanium clips used for surgical clipping are fully MRI-compatible at 1.5T and 3T field strengths. There are no restrictions on MRI scanning after either procedure. Older clip designs (pre-1990) may have different specifications — if you have had surgery more than 30 years ago, please inform the radiology team before scanning so they can verify clip compatibility.