Neurological care

Neurology and neurosurgery in Riverside, California

Riverside Community Hospital specializes in providing care for conditions affecting the brain, spine and nervous system. Our skilled team is comprised of neurosurgeons and neurology specialists who offer noninvasive treatments and advanced surgical procedures to treat even the most complex and challenging neurological conditions.

Are you interested in seeing one of our neuroscience specialists? To learn more about our neurological treatments, call our Consult-A-Nurse® team at (951) 788-3463.

Neurological conditions we treat

We are passionate about providing leading-edge neurological care. Our dedicated specialists are on your side, guiding you from diagnosis through recovery.

Some of the neurological conditions we treat include:

• All types of stroke, such as:
  • Acute hemorrhagic stroke
  • Ischemic stroke
  • Transient ischemic attacks (mini strokes)
• Aneurysms and vascular diseases
• Brain and spinal cord tumors
• Brain and spinal cord injuries
• Chronic and acute head, back and neck pain
• Epilepsy
• Movement disorders
• Neurodegenerative disorders
• Neuroimmune disorders
• Neurological conditions resulting from infection
• Neurotrauma
• Normal pressure hydrocephalus
• Spinal conditions and disorders

Stroke care

As a Comprehensive Stroke Center, our emergency room (ER) offers fast and effective diagnostics and treatments for all types of stroke. Our interventional neuroradiologists are available 24/7, providing advanced treatments for strokes and neurological events. After our patients are treated, we make sure to guide them through recovery, with education, physical therapy and support along the way.

Spine care

From spinal disorders to injuries, we treat a wide range of conditions to relieve back and neck pain and increase our patients' quality of life. We offer a variety of spinal procedures.

Diagnosing and monitoring neurological disorders

Our skilled neuro-imaging specialists use advanced technology to diagnose and monitor patients using:

• Complex diagnostic imaging exams, such as:
  • Carotid duplex ultrasound
  • Computed tomography (CT)
  • Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)
  • Extracranial ultrasonography
  • Magnetic resonance angiography
  • Magnetic resonance imaging
  • Transcranial doppler
  • Transesophageal echocardiography
  • Transthoracic echocardiography
• Continuous electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring and state-of-the-art neuromonitoring

Our neurological treatments

We are committed to improving the range and safety of the brain and spine procedures we offer. That's why we strive to use the latest technology that enhances our highly trained neurosurgeons abilities.

The Neuroscience Center provides a wide variety of surgical and non-surgical treatments, including:

• Ablation and vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) to treat epilepsy
• Brain and spinal tumor resections
• Deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders
• Designated neurocritical care services and treatments
• Interventional pain management techniques and procedures
• Physical, occupational and speech therapies
• Robot-assisted brain and spine surgery
• Stereotactic and image-guided neurosurgery
• Stroke treatments provided 24/7 in our ER

Stereotactic brain surgery

Stereotactic surgery is a minimally invasive alternative to traditional neurological procedures. This surgical method involves small incisions and precise resections, offering minimal disturbance to surrounding brain tissue.

Our neurologists use specialized neurosurgical microscopes that allow superior visualization inside the body and image-guided navigation for greater accuracy. This system helps our surgeons perform delicate procedures with enhanced precision, resulting in more positive outcomes for patients.

Our neurointerventional treatments

Our hospital is committed to advancing our treatment capabilities for neurological conditions with the addition of a neurointerventional biplane angiography system. Using this advanced system, our skilled neurointerventionalists can now treat a variety of head, neck and spine conditions using a minimally invasive approach.

The neurointerventional biplane angiography system uses two mounted rotating cameras that take simultaneous pictures, creating detailed images of the vessels and soft tissue anatomy. The two sets of images are brought together digitally to form a 3D image of the area being evaluated for treatment.

Using these detailed images, our physicians can map the path of blood flow through the vessels in the neck and head. During the procedure, the surgeon feeds tiny instruments through a catheter inserted into an artery in the patient's leg.

TransCarotid Artery Revascularization (TCAR)

We offer a breakthrough technology called TransCarotid Artery Revascularization (TCAR) to treat patients with carotid artery disease. While any repair of the carotid artery carries some risk of causing a stroke because of the repair itself, TCAR was designed to help minimize that risk by keeping potential stroke-causing fragments away from the brain.

Like the open surgery, carotid endarterectomy (CEA), this innovative procedure involves direct access to the carotid artery but through a much smaller incision at the neckline just above the clavicle instead of a longer incision on the neck. The TCAR procedure is performed in less than half the time of CEA - limiting the stress on the heart and significantly cutting the risk of the patient having a stroke or heart attack during the procedure.

Patients who undergo the TCAR procedure recover quickly (typically spending just one night in the hospital) and almost always go home the next day to return to full and productive lives with less pain, smaller scars and a reduced risk of future strokes.

Your physician may recommend the TCAR procedure if you've been diagnosed with carotid artery disease.

Our neurology specialists

The team at The Neuroscience Center is guided by Riverside Community Hospital’s vision to be the premier healthcare destination for all we serve. Our entire team is dedicated to providing excellence in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders to improve the health of the communities we serve.

Our team is comprised of skilled physicians and specialists who are assisted by specially trained nurses and support staff, including:

• Neurointerventionalists
• Neurologists
• Neurosurgeons
• Physiatrists

Our Stroke and Brain Injury Support Group

The Neuroscience Center offers a Stroke and Brain Injury Support Group to patients, families and caregivers. Our support group helps people who have been affected by conditions like a brain aneurysm, stroke or AVM.

Our meetings address topics such as:

• Brain exercises
• Coping strategies
• Depression
• Nutrition
• Social reintegration

Our support group meets on the second Tuesday of each month from 6:00pm to 7:30pm. Meetings are free and open to the public.

For more information about our meetings, call our Consult-A-Nurse® team at (951) 788-3463 or view group session dates and times on our calendar.

Benefits of attending a support group

Social isolation can lead to poor outcomes after experiencing a neurological event or diagnosis. That’s why social support is an important part of the recovery process.

It’s encouraging to learn that you are not alone. Through our support group, participants can express their shared experiences and struggles among people who can understand and relate to them.

Members of support groups benefit from:

• Emotional and moral support
• Establishing social networks
• Feeling accepted, understood and empowered
• Having a place to share personal experiences
• Learning from people who can relate to your health experiences
• Making strides toward self-discovery
• Obtaining information from health professionals, including wellness plans