A neurosurgeon is a medical professional who deals with the diagnosis, surgical as well as non-surgical treatment, and management of disorders that affect the central (brain and spinal cord) and peripheral nervous system (other nerves).

A neurosurgeon is qualified to operate a brain tumour. A neurosurgeon removes all of the tumour or a part of it, if it can damage the vital tissues in the brain. For tumours that cannot be removed, a biopsy is done by taking a small piece of the tumour to determine the type of cells in it. These might be treated using chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

A neurosurgeon does more than perform brain surgery. Before performing surgery, a neurosurgeon usually tries to use non-surgical treatments too. Besides, if there is a need for surgery, minimally invasive techniques are opted for whenever possible.

Neurosurgeons can treat individuals with the following diseases:
Birth defects
Brain and spinal tumours
Bleeding in the brain
Peripheral nerve problems like sciatica
Injuries to the head, neck, or spine
Spinal problems, such as osteoarthritis and herniated disc
Surgeries for tumour removal, carpal tunnel syndrome, etc.
Epilepsy or seizures
Conditions such as Parkinson's disease
Chronic pain

A neurologist can treat functional or developmental birth defects such as Down's syndrome. However, they cannot treat structural birth defects such as spina bifida and hydrocephalus, for which the treatment option is only surgery. This will require a neurosurgeon.