Brian M Cameron, MD

Biography

Matching individual treatments to individual patients

As a neurosurgeon, Dr. Brian Cameron spends a good part of every week in the operating room. But he doesn’t want every patient who comes to his office to think that surgery is the only solution to their spinal pain or neurological condition.

“Particularly with degenerative disease, I try to look at the big picture. That means working closely with other members of our health care team to come up with the best option for each individual patient,” he says. “This often doesn’t require surgery.”

After starting his career as a nurse, Dr. Cameron continued on to medical school. “I always like an intellectual challenge, and surgery adds a physical component to that as well,” he says. “Neurosurgery brings yet another layer, as this field is an area of medicine where a lot still remains to be explored and discovered.”

Beyond his general-surgery training, Dr. Cameron completed a residency and fellowship to refine his expertise in both neurosurgery and spine surgery. He also dedicated four years to the U.S. Navy, where he served in active duty as a neurosurgeon.

Today, he treats all disorders of the spine. That includes degenerative disease – conditions often characterized by irreversible deterioration over a long time – as well as trauma and tumors. “The most rewarding part of coming to the hospital each day is seeing people regain important function,” says Dr. Cameron, whose personal research looks at ways to improve outcomes after degenerative spine surgery. “However, we still have limitations in our branch of medicine, and I bring compassion in talking with every patient about how we can help.”

In the operating room, Dr. Cameron augments his general neurosurgery expertise with skills in complex spinal reconstruction and neuro-oncology of the spine. When appropriate, he advocates for minimally invasive surgery, an increasing option for spine surgery that offers shorter recoveries.

When patients come for their first consult, they meet not only Dr. Cameron, but they spend time with his nurse, Maria Boyer, RN. That initial visit is an important step in determining the best way to diagnose and treat a patient and condition. “We’re on their team for every stage of this journey,” says Dr. Cameron, who is certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery. “We don’t rush through the visit. We give our patients the time they need to tell us what’s going on with their health, which, in turn, I need to get a good understanding of their particular problem. Every patient is unique.”

In caring for patients who range in age from young adults to those in their retirement years, Dr. Cameron has common advice for every person who comes to him: “Stay positive,” he says. “Do not underestimate the power of the mind and a positive attitude.”