Education and understanding are essential for a patient to make decisions regarding the best possible neurosurgical care. This is especially true when considering neurosurgical treatment of the brain and spine which can result in tremendous benefit, yet can have significant risks. Our philosophy is to thoroughly educate our patients as to the nature of their problem, possible causes, treatment options, and risks/benefits of each option. Decisions are best made in the context of each individual patient, by a well informed patient in consultation with a well trained neurosurgeon. Treatment decisions may be entirely different between two patients with similar problems.