Minimally Invasive Treatment for Vascular Disorders of the Brain & Spine
Endovascular Neurosurgery is a sub-specialty within Neurosurgery that deals with vascular disorders of the head, neck, and spine, with treatment options from “inside” the blood vessel. In much the same way that interventional cardiologists treat heart disease in with minimally invasive techniques the cardiac cath lab, neurosurgeons can treat cerebrovascular diseases in the same manner. Endovascular Neurosurgery is also referred to as “neurointerventional surgery” or “interventional neuroradiology.” Dr. Lawson was the first fellowship trained and certified neurosurgeon to practice endovascular neurosurgery in Tallahassee.
In contrast to open surgery, where there is often a large incision in the head or neck, endovascular neurosurgeons treat vascular disorders of the head and neck with catheters that inserted in the femoral artery (the groin or leg). They can treat brain aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, carotid artery stenosis, and acute stroke from inside the blood vessels.
Endovascular Neurosurgeons are specially trained, often completing fellowships between 12 and 24 
months long, after a 6 or 7 year neurosurgery residency program. In 2016, Dr. Lawson was one of the first 50 surgeons in the United States to receive the Society of Neurological Surgeons Subspecialty Certification in Neuroendovascular Surgery.
The endovascular neurosurgeon treats the following conditions using minimally-invasive endovascular techniques:
- Cerebral Aneurysms
- Arteriovenous Malformations (AVMs) of the brain and spine
- Arteriovenous Fistula
- Carotid Disease / Carotid Stenosis
- Acute Stroke
- Intracranial Stenosis
- Carotid and Vertebral Artery Dissection
TMH Neurovascular Lab
Siemens Artis Zee Biplane System
TMH Cath Lab 3 is a specially designed biplane fluoroscopy suite that was designed from the ground up for neurointerventional procedures. It features a state-of-the-art Siemens interventional imaging system. The lab opened in late 2012, and was the first cath lab in the Florida panhandle, south Georgia, and south Alabama specifically designed for endovascular neurosurgery. Since opening, hundreds of patients have been treated, filling a critical need for these specialized services in the region. In 2016, Tallahassee Memorial Hospital became a Comprehensive Stroke Center, the only one in the region covering the Florida panhandle, south Georgia, and south Alabama.