Neurosurgery is surgery of the nervous system. A neurological surgeon, or neurosurgeon, is a specialist who is trained in surgery of the nervous system, and can perform surgery on the brain, spinal cord, or other parts of the nervous system. This specialist is sometimes called a brain surgeon. The neurosurgeon also works with patients to diagnose, evaluate, and treat diseases or disorders of the nervous system, and aids in critical care of patients before, during and after surgery.

Physicians in this specialty treat patients suffering from numerous diseases and illnesses, but some of the most common are Spondylolisthesis, Spinal Stenosis, Spinal Injury, Herniated Disc, brain tumors, stroke, Spinal Cord Tumors, Scoliosis, epilepsy, Spinal Infection, Spinal Discectomy, Spinal Deformity, brain tumor, coma, seizure, Alzheimer's disease, cerebral palsy, meningitis, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease.

Once properly diagnosed, practitioners can perform numerous procedures on patients including Disc Disease / Surgery, Back / Spine Surgery , Invasive Disc Surgery, Kyphosis Surgery, Laminectomy, Deep Brain Stimulation, endoscopic surgery, craniotomy, stereotactic radiosurgery, microsurgery, Endoscopic management, Cordotomy, transphenoidal surgery, and radiation implants.

To diagnose patients with possible illnesses and diseases, specialists will often perform one of many tests including MRI Scan of the Brain, MRI Scan of the Spine, CAT Scan of the Brain, CT Scan of the Brain, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Axial Tomography (CT or CAT Scan), Myelogram, Spinal Tap, Lumbar Puncture (LP), Electromyography (EMG), Cerebral Angiogram, Electroencephalography, Electronystagmography (ENG), Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV), Spinal Puncture, Positron Emission Tomography (PET Scan), Myelography, Ocular Pressures, Evoked Potentials Studies, and Myogram.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. Indiana has 153 practicing neurosurgeons. Broken out by city, neurosurgery doctor density in Anderson is 2, in Avon is 9, in Beech Grove is 9, in Bloomington is 1, in Carmel is 8, in Chesterton is 2, in Columbus is 3, in Crawfordsville is 1, in Crown Point is 2, in Dyer is 1, in East Chicago is 1, in Elkhart is 7, in Evansville is 14, in Fort Wayne is 13, in Greenfield is 2, in Hammond is 2, in Hartford City is 1, in Hobart is 3, in Indianapolis is 59, in Jasper is 1, in Jeffersonville is 6, in Kokomo is 2, in La Porte is 1, in Lafayette is 4, in Merrillville is 12, in Michigan City is 1, in Mishawaka is 2, in Mooresville is 1, in Muncie is 5, in Munster is 2, in New Albany is 6, in Richmond is 1, in Schererville is 2, in Seymour is 1, in Shelbyville is 1, in South Bend is 8, in Terre Haute is 3, in Valparaiso is 7, and in Vincennes is 4.

Indiana’s population is 6,271,973, and most of the state’s population is located in the north, near the Lake Michigan shoreline, and is part of the greater metro Chicago area. Indiana became a state in 1816, and boasts many historical sites and covered bridges, numerous state parks and forests, hunting and fishing, and a variety of golf courses. Centrally located Indianapolis is home to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, hosting the world-famous 500-mile auto race every year. This capital and largest city of Indiana also hosts a Civil War museum, a planetarium, and the Indiana Historical Society, among many other attractions.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Indiana has a population of 6,271,973. Of this population, 1,566,280 are under the age of 18 and 774,303 are at or above the age of 65.