Neurosurgery Therapies
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The Neurosurgery therapy department at St George’s Hospital is based within the Atkinson Morley Regional Neurosciences Centre. The Neurosurgery therapy team specialises in the assessment and treatment of neurosurgical conditions such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, brain haemorrhage, brain and spinal cord tumours and planned (elective) spinal surgery. The neurosurgery Therapy teams work across the two neurosurgery wards of Brodie and McKissock.
In addition the Neurosurgery Therapy team assess and treat critically ill patients within the Intensive Care Unit. This may involve treatments to improve their chest while on a ventilator or to assist the patient to wean (come off) from the ventilator. As patients within the Intensive Care Unit improve medically, early rehabilitation involving the therapy team can be commenced.
Contact details
Occupational Therapy 02087254618
Physiotherapy 02087254619
Speech and Language Therapy 02087254492
Opening hours
08:30 – 16:30 Monday to Sunday
Treatments
The multi-disciplinary team provide in-patient therapy services across the Neuro Intensive Care Unit, Brodie Neurosurgery Ward and McKissock Ward.
The symptoms of neurosurgical conditions can vary greatly between patients and your/your relative’s assessment and treatment will depend on the nature of these symptoms.
Physical Symptoms
- Weakness
- Changes in sensation
- Difficulty with co-ordination
- Increased muscle activity
- Visual field deficits
Cognitive symptoms
- Reduced memory – including post traumatic amnesia
- Poor concentration/attention
- Visuo-perceptual problems
- Apraxia – difficulties understanding what objects are and how to use them
- Difficulties multi-tasking
- Poor problem solving
- Poor insight into the difficulties the patient is having
Behavioural Symptoms
- Restlessness
- Agitation
- Aggression
Emotional symptoms
- Low mood
- Frequent changes in mood
- Difficulties processing emotion
Communication symptoms
- Word finding difficulties
- Difficulty understanding what people say
- Slurred speech
- Changes in social communication skills
Swallow Symptoms
- Difficulty swallowing food and/or drink
Other
- Altered sleep/wake cycle
If you/your experience any of these symptoms the therapy team will work with you and your family to identify areas you would like to improve and establish a tailored rehabilitation programme.
Key staff
The team consists of Principal Therapists, Specialist Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Speech and Language Therapists, Rotational Therapists and Therapy Technicians.
As the Neurosurgery service at St George’s is a regional service you/your family member may be transferred to a hospital closer to home to continue rehabilitation. This will usually be after a short period of recovery and when no further Neurosurgery is required.
If you/your family member require on-going specialist rehabilitation the therapy team and discharge co-ordinator will discuss this with you and agree on the most suitable referral. For patients with a Spinal Cord Injury this is most often to the London Spinal Cord Injury Centre (Stanmore Royal Orthopaedic Hospital) and for other neurological conditions this is most often to a NHS England Level 1 Rehabilitation bed within London.
All planned spinal surgery patients are offered the opportunity to attend the ‘Back on Track’ education and exercise session prior to their surgery. This session is incorporated into your pre-admission assessment and takes place at 12:00 every Wednesday on the 2nd floor of Atkinson Morley Wing. The session aims to provide you with important information regarding your surgery and recovery, demonstrate your post-operative exercise programme and provide an opportunity to ask questions of the Physiotherapist. A video of this information is also available at www.tiny.cc/backontrack
