- Arthritis
- Primary CareMany insurance carriers require pre-authorization for specialized and surgical procedures and/or referrals from a primary care physician. If you are unable to obtain the authorization, you can sign a medical waiver and pay us directly for the services we provide you, and we will refund you when we receive the proper authorization for those services.
- Smoking CessationThe best way to prevent strokes is to manage your risk factors: smoking cessation, treatment of high blood pressure, and control of blood sugar levels among persons with diabetes. Additionally, physicians may prescribe aspirin, warfarin, or ticlopidine for some individuals.
- Emergency CareWhen you get emergency care or you are treated by an out of network provider when seeking care at an in network facility, you are protected from what is known as “surprise” or balanced billing.
- Female Infertility
- Carpal Tunnel SyndromeDr. Lingo maintains a general neurosurgical practice, evaluating and treating patients with brain, spine, and peripheral nerve disorders. His interests include: neuro-oncology, meningiomas, skull base tumors including pituitary tumors, trigeminal neuralgia, Chiari malformations, neurovascular conditions such as aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations, spinal tumors, degenerative neck and spine disease, carpal tunnel syndrome, and ulnar neuropathy. He is trained in minimally invasive spine and cranial techniques, neuroendoscopy, and stereotactic radiosurgery.
- Multiple SclerosisSpasticity is usually caused by damage to the portion of the brain or spinal cord that controls voluntary movement. It may occur in association with spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, damage to the brain because of lack of oxygen, brain trauma, severe head injury and metabolic diseases such as Lou Gehrig's disease.
- EpilepsyEstablished in 1977, The Neurosurgical & Spine Institute of Savannah is one of the largest private neurosurgical practices on the east coast. Our group includes 9 board-certified or board-eligible neurosurgeons who are trained to provide expert surgical and nonsurgical treatment for the entire spectrum of brain, spine, and peripheral nerve disorders. Many of the conditions they treat include brain tumors, spine injuries, stroke, epilepsy, birth defects, concussions, neck and lower back pain, and pituitary tumors.
- Depression
- Mental HealthAccess the information contained in your medical record. This right may be delegated to another person of your choosing and might include exceptions (such as those pertaining to mental health care or to sensitive materials).
- PsychiatryPatients with mild to moderate injuries may receive skull and neck X-rays to check for bone fractures or spinal instability. For moderate to severe cases, the imaging test is a computed tomography (CT) scan. Moderately to severely injured patients receive rehabilitation that involves individually tailored treatment programs in the areas of physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech/language therapy, physiatry (physical medicine), psychology/psychiatry, and social support.
- Anxiety
- Diabetes Care
- ThyroidTreat underlying medical conditions that contribute to the development of carpal tunnel syndrome, such as diabetes, thyroid disease and arthritis.
- UltrasoundIn some cases, carotid artery disease can be detected during a normal physician checkup. In other cases, further testing may be needed. These tests may include ultrasound imaging, CT angiography (CTA), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), or traditional angiography. Angiography consists of an X-ray of the carotid arteries and arteries of the brain taken by injecting a special dye into the arteries. CTA and MRA are relatively new imaging techniques that avoid most of the risks associated with angiography, however, CTA and MRA images are sometimes not quite as definitive as angiography.
- MRIMost neurosurgical conditions require additional imaging (e.g., MRI or CT) to be properly diagnosed. If you do not have imaging completed prior to your visit, you will likely see an advanced care practitioner during your first visit. He or she will order the imaging needed for your neurosurgeon to provide a timely and accurate diagnosis.
- RadiologyCertain In-Network Hospital or In-Network ASC Services. When you get services from an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, certain providers there may be out-of-network. In these cases, the most those providers may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount. This applies to emergency medicine, anesthesia, pathology, radiology, laboratory, neonatology, assistant surgeon, hospitalist, or intensivist services. These providers can’t balance bill you and may not ask you to give up your protections not to be balance billed. If you get other services at these in-network facilities, out-of-network providers can’t balance bill you, unless you give written consent and give up your protections.
- X-Rays
- Computed TomographyDiscography is used to determine the internal structure of a disc. It is performed by using a local anesthetic and injecting a dye into the disc under X-ray guidance. An X-ray and CT scan are performed to view the disc composition to determine if its structure is normal or abnormal. In addition to the disc appearance, your doctor will note any pain associated with this injection. The benefit of a discogram is that it enables the physician to confirm the disc level that is causing your pain. This ensures that surgery will be more successful and reduces the risk of operating on the wrong disc.
- ChemotherapyWhen surgery is necessary to remove brain tumors, surgeons at Neurosurgical & Spine Institute utilize new developments in radiation and chemotherapy treatments such as gamma knife radiosurgery. They are experienced in treating brain tumors and recognizing the best course of treatment for patients on an individual basis.
- Radiation TherapyIntensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) can treat brain tumors of any shape or size while at the same time sparing the greatest amount of normal tissue. This highly advanced technique involves using digital images of the tumor to coordinate a three-dimensional approach in which beams of radiation are delivered to it. The radiation is controlled, and, therefore, can better target the region where the tumor resides with a more concentrated dosage.
- General SurgeryDuring his residency in neurological surgery at Ohio State Medical Center, Dr. Thompson, Jr. received the Chairman’s Award in surgery and the Children’s Hospital Research Foundation Oral Presentation Award. He also did an internship in general surgery at Ohio State Medical Center.
- WhiplashLike back strain, neck strain is an irritation to tendons, muscles and ligaments in the upper back and neck area. Whiplash is characterized by a collection of symptoms that occur following damage to the neck, usually because of sudden extension and flexion, such as in a car accident.
- Minimally Invasive SurgeryThe surgeons at Neurosurgical & Spine Institute partner with an ASC to perform minimally invasive surgery, enabling many patients to go home the same day. Learn more.
- NeurosurgeryThe Neurosurgical & Spine Institute is dedicated to partnering with others in the medical community to provide the best quality and experience for patients seeking neurosurgical care.  Our compassionate team of neurosurgeons  use innovative technology to perform the full-spectrum of brain, spine and peripheral nerve procedures ranging from minimally invasive to complex neurosurgery.
- Robotic SurgeryHe completed his neurosurgery residency at the University of Virginia. During that time he also spent 12 months in New Zealand practicing intracranial neurosurgery before serving as chief resident at UVA. He went on to complete a fellowship in complex and minimally invasive spine surgery at the Semmes-Murphey Clinic in Memphis, Tennessee where he gained special training in tubular spine surgery, robotic surgery, and scoliosis correction.
- LesionsAside from cerebrovascular disease, Dr. Howington has interest and expertise in the surgical management of brain tumors, pituitary tumors, cervical spine disease, peripheral nerve lesions, and lumbar spine disease.
- Physical TherapySome smaller fractures can heal with physical therapy treatment and rest, however severe fractures will require surgery to reposition the bones and can include paralysis if the injury damaged the spinal cord. Spinal fractures and dislocations can pinch, compress, and even tear the spinal cord.Â
- Occupational TherapyDepending on the location of and the damage caused by a stroke, many stroke victims can recover with physical or occupational therapy. Some lifestyle changes are also recommended such as eating right and exercising to prevent heart disease and high blood pressure, not smoking, controlling diabetes and taking anti-clotting medications such as aspirin.
- Slipped DiscSurgery may be recommended in some cases such as the repair of a slipped disc, the removal of benign or malignant tumors or the surgical release of ligaments or tendons.
- Neck Pain
- Back Pain
- Manual TherapyWorking with a therapist may be necessary for optimal recovery from back or neck pain. Therapists are able to relieve pain using specialized techniques, tissue and joint mobilization and personalized exercises. A therapist is also trained to recognize the boundaries of back and neck pain patients, in order to maximize therapy without causing further injury.