Medical Equipment Glossary

Commonly known as “brain surgery,” a craniotomy is medical term for all surgical procedures which are performed through an opening in the skull. Frequently, a craniotomy is performed in neurosurgical operations to achieve access to the brain and other structures of the head. A craniotomy may be performed to treat or remove cancer, for clipping of an aneurysm, for removal of a vascular malformation, to correct a brain disorder, or to repair a brain injury.