A neurologist diagnoses and treats disorders of the nervous system without operating. A neurosurgeon performs surgery on the brain, spine and nerves. Most neurological conditions never require surgery, which is why the neurologist is usually the first specialist involved.
A neurologist diagnoses and treats disorders of the nervous system without operating. A neurosurgeon performs surgery on the brain, spine and nerves. Most neurological conditions never require surgery, which is why the neurologist is usually the first specialist involved.
Both begin with medical school, then diverge. Neurology training focuses on diagnosis, localisation and medical management, with tools including examination, electrodiagnostic testing, EEG and medication. Neurosurgical training is a longer surgical residency focused on operative treatment of structural problems. Neither is senior to the other; they answer different questions, and a great deal of neurological illness has no surgical solution at all.
For headache, epilepsy, neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, memory problems, dizziness and tremor, a neurologist is the right first stop. A neurosurgeon becomes relevant when there is a structural problem that an operation could address: a tumour, significant spinal cord or nerve root compression, hydrocephalus, some vascular abnormalities, or drug-resistant epilepsy where a surgical evaluation is warranted. Often the neurologist identifies that and refers.
The two frequently manage the same patient. In drug-resistant epilepsy, the neurologist establishes the diagnosis and characterises the seizures, and a surgical team evaluates whether an operation would help. In carpal tunnel syndrome, electrodiagnostic testing grades severity and informs whether release surgery is appropriate. Clinical Neurology Specialists performs no surgery; where an operation is the right answer, the referral is made and neurological care continues here. One practical consequence worth knowing: if you are referred to a neurosurgeon and leave without an operation being recommended, that is a normal and common outcome rather than a wasted appointment. Surgical assessment frequently concludes that conservative management is the better option, and knowing that has been properly considered is itself useful information.
Clinical Neurology Specialists has been physician-owned since 1998, when Leo Germin, M.D., FAANEM founded it. Five board-certified neurologists and four advanced practice providers see patients at the Las Vegas and Henderson offices, each with its own AANEM-accredited electrodiagnostic laboratory.
Clinical Neurology Specialists is an adult outpatient neurology practice for patients 18 and older. The practice performs no surgery and operates no imaging suite, infusion suite or interventional pain programme, and provides no emergency or inpatient care.
Physician-reviewed. Reviewed by the physicians of Clinical Neurology Specialists — board-certified neurologists, AANEM-accredited electrodiagnostic laboratories, physician-owned since 1998. Reviewed 1 August 2026. This article is general education for adults 18 and older and is not a substitute for a consultation.
Sources and further reading: American Academy of Neurology; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
Adults 18 and older, at the Las Vegas and Henderson offices. Call 702-804-1212 or request an appointment online.