St. Cloud Hospital offers a comprehensive 18-bed neuromedical and neurosurgical inpatient unit, including complete neurodiagnostics services.

Common services include:

• surgical neck and back procedures, including laminectomies, fusions, vertebroplasties and kyphoplasties
• management of seizures, including a 24-hour monitoring program
• acute stroke management
• head and spinal cord injury
• post-operative craniotomy care
• diagnostic work-up for neurological disorders

The Neurodiagnostics Department provides a variety of inpatient and outpatient testing for assessment of the central and peripheral nervous system:

• Electroencephalogram (EEG), which is a test of cortical (brain) function and is often done in addition to imaging studies. The doctor orders these as sleep-deprived or routine.
• Evoked potentials (EPs), which are functional tests of the entire peripheral and central nervous system. There are three basic types:
  1. Brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAERs), which test the auditory system from outer ears to the brainstem area.
  2. Visual evoked responses (VER), which test the visual system from eyes to cortex.
  3. Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs), which can be of the upper extremities (arms) or lower extremities (legs) or both. SSEPs test the peripheral nervous system from fingertips or toes to cortex including the spinal canal.
• Electromyogram (EMG), which is made up of two distinct parts:
  1. Nerve conduction velocities (NCVs), which test the function of the nerves supplying the muscles.
  2. Electromyogram, which tests the function of the muscles themselves.

The EMG is always performed by a physician who is specially trained for the procedure. A technologist trained by a physician may perform the NCV. These diagnostic testing procedures are also utilized during surgeries.

CentraCare Health System Neurosurgery Services Available At:
St. Cloud Hospital
River Campus Clinic