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Kootenai Health
Bone & Joint
Orthopedic care for injuries, joint pain and movement concerns, including advanced joint replacement, sports medicine, trauma care and recovery.

Brain & Spine
Neurologists, neurosurgeons and rehabilitation specialists with leading technology and treatment options for a wide range of brain, spine and nerve conditions.

Cancer Care
Nationally accredited cancer care with specialists working together on advanced treatment options, clinical trials and support through every step.
Digestive Health
Digestive specialists who diagnose and treat everything from routine screenings and ongoing symptoms to advanced procedures, IBD and liver disease.

Heart, Vascular & Lung
Nationally recognized specialists for heart, blood vessel and lung conditions, from testing and ongoing treatment to advanced procedures and surgery.

Women & Children
Connected care for women, babies and children, from everyday health needs and pregnancy to specialized hospital care when more support is needed.
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Kootenai Health in the Community
Rooted in community. Driven by care for all.
From sponsoring local events like Ironman to ensuring every neighbor has access to care, we're here for our community—because caring for our neighbors is who we are.
Community Involvement
Advanced brain and spine surgery requires the right team.
You’ve found them.
Advanced brain and spine surgery requires the right team.
You’ve found them.

Neurosurgery & Spine

Advanced brain and spine surgery requires the right team.
You’ve found them.

Neurosurgery & Spine

Advanced surgery for the brain, spine, and peripheral nervous system, from chronic long-standing issues to acute emergencies.

You’re here because it’s time to take a closer look. Maybe you’ve been dealing with symptoms that haven’t improved, even after trying different treatments. Or something changed suddenly—a fall, an injury, a diagnosis you weren’t expecting. The question now is what’s actually going on and what to do next.

Kootenai Health’s neurosurgeons treat a wide range of brain and spine conditions, from spine disorders and brain tumors to movement disorders and traumatic injuries. Surgery isn’t always the first step. It’s used when other treatments haven’t worked or when there’s a clear reason to move forward.

When surgery is needed, advanced options are available here in the region, including robotic-guided spine surgery, interoperative subcortical brain mapping, and Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). Kootenai Health is also the first and only hospital in the region to offer Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS). You’ll have access to the right level of surgical care here.

Advanced Robotic Surgery

Precision guidance for spine procedures
Robotic technology helps surgeons operate on the spine with greater accuracy than doing it by hand alone.

Deep Brain Stimulation

Advanced therapy for movement disorders
DBS reduces symptoms of Parkinson's disease and essential tremor when medications are no longer enough. We provide evaluation, treatment, and care to improve quality of life.

NeuroPace RNS

Only program in Idaho offering this treatment
RNS learns your unique seizure patterns and responds in real time. For patients whose seizures haven’t responded to medication, you can access this treatment right here.

A TRUSTED NEUROSURGERY PARTNER

When your patient needs a neurosurgeon, we're ready.

Our Services

Conditions

Brain Conditions

  • Brain tumors and pituitary adenomas
  • Chiari malformation
  • Epilepsy
  • Intracranial hemorrhage
  • Trigeminal neuralgia
  • Traumatic brain injury and subarachnoid hemorrhage — bleeding in or around the brain following injury or rupture
  • Intracranial hypertension and normal pressure hydrocephalus — conditions involving abnormal pressure or fluid buildup in the brain
  • Congenital malformations  — structural abnormalities of the brain or spine present from birth
  • Movement disorders including Parkinson's disease, tremor, and dystonia  — conditions that affect muscle control, coordination, and involuntary movement
  • Epilepsy requiring neurostimulation

Spine Conditions

  • Degenerative disc disease, stenosis, and spondylolisthesis — conditions where spinal structures break down, narrow, or shift out of alignment 
  • Radiculopathy, sciatica, and neurogenic claudication — nerve-related pain, numbness, or weakness that radiates from the spine into the arms or legs
  • Spinal fractures
  • Myelopathy and cauda equina — spinal cord or nerve root compression that can affect movement, sensation, and bladder or bowel function
  • Scoliosis and sacroiliitis

Nerve and Movement Conditions

  • Nerve compression conditions including carpal tunnel syndrome and foot drop — pressure on peripheral nerves that causes pain, weakness, or loss of function
Diagnostics & Testing

Imaging

  • MRI, X-ray, CT
  • Myelogram — an imaging test that uses contrast dye and X-ray or CT to get detailed pictures of the spine and surrounding structures

Neurological Evaluation

  • Nerve conduction studies — tests that measure how well electrical signals travel through your nerves to identify areas of damage or compression
  • Visual field testing in coordination with ophthalmology — used when a brain condition may be affecting vision
Common Treatments & Procedures

Brain Procedures

  • Stereotactic craniotomy and tumor resection — computer-guided surgical planning using 3D imaging to precisely locate and remove brain tumors while minimizing impact to surrounding tissue
  • Stereotactic radiosurgery — precisely targeted radiation treatment for brain tumors, trigeminal neuralgia, and movement disorders
  • Pituitary adenoma resection — removal of a noncancerous tumor on the pituitary gland, typically through a minimally invasive approach
  • Ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement — a device implanted to redirect excess fluid from the brain to the abdomen

Spine Procedures

  • Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) — removal of a herniated or degenerative disc in the neck, with the vertebrae fused together using a bone graft and metal plate
  • Anterior and posterior lumbar decompression and fusion — removal of bone or tissue compressing spinal nerves in the lower back, stabilized with rods, plates, and screws
  • Lumbar hemilaminotomy and microdiscectomy — a microsurgical procedure to remove a herniated disc in the lower back through a small opening in the spine
  • Lumbar decompressive laminectomy — removal of bone from the spinal canal to relieve pressure on nerve roots, reducing low back and leg pain and improving lower extremity strength
  • Robotic-guided spine surgery using the Globus Excelsius system — improved accuracy of instrumentation placement for degenerative spine disorders, spinal trauma, and spinal tumors
  • Spinal fracture repair

Neurostimulation

  • Responsive Neurostimulation via NeuroPace — a device implanted in the brain that detects and responds to abnormal electrical activity to help reduce seizures; the only program offering this treatment in the region
  • Deep Brain Stimulation — an implanted device that delivers targeted electrical stimulation to regulate abnormal brain signals in patients with Parkinson's, tremor, or dystonia

Conservative Treatment Pathways

  • Physical therapy
  • Pain management referrals including epidural steroid injections

Specialized Brain & Spine Programs

Advanced Robotic Brain & Spine Surgery
Robotic technology helps surgeons operate on the spine with greater accuracy than doing it by hand alone, providing the precision needed for complex instrumentation and surgical planning.
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Back & Spine Pain Program
When back or spine pain affects your daily life, the Back & Spine Pain Program provides a direct path to relief. We help you get evaluated quickly and start the right treatment sooner—no referral or prior imaging required.
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Epilepsy Center
For patients with difficult to control or diagnose seizures, our Level 3 Epilepsy Center provides continuous inpatient monitoring and the region’s only NeuroPace program—bringing advanced seizure localization and responsive neurostimulation right here.
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Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R)
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) helps you regain movement, mobility, and daily function through advanced spasticity treatments and specialized Baclofen pump management.
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Take the next step.

Refer a Patient

Our neurosurgery team handles the region's most advanced cases—robotic spine surgery, NeuroPace, cranial procedures, and more. Every referral is triaged quickly and routed to the right surgeon.

Find the Right Path for Your Pain

If you're earlier in the process, our Back & Spine Pain Program can help you figure out what's going on and what comes next.