Dr. Soren Singel
Neurosurgery
San Francisco, CA
31 years experience male
Locations
UCSF Neurological Surgery
San Francisco, CA
About
Bio
Neurosurgeon at UCSF
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Neurosurgery
Neuroradiology
Languages spoken
English, German, Mandarin
Doctor Q&A
454 Answers
1.7K Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Correct: Only in the brain, and only in or close to the third ventricle.
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4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Depends: Gamma knife only good for small tumors. Whether safe or not depends on location, open surgery can visualize and avoid critical structures such as cran... Read More
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5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Fall precautions: Most pd patients would have a hard time trying any if these. Try and see how it goes - as long as you take fall precautions.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Sedation: They use conscious sedation which makes the procedure very relaxed.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Yes: Cjd destroys the brain tissue. When the brain tissue shrinks, the volume of the cerebrospinal fluid systems has to increase to compensate for the volu... Read More
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4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Yes: For muscle cramps and spasms yes. Obviously, massage cannot undo the brain damage which occurred when the aneurysm ruptured. Any person with a brain a... Read More
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5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
4 types: There are four types, but no stages.
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5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Quadriparesis: Quadriparesis. Suggests dysfunction of the spinal cord or brain stem.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
CSF dynamics: Chiari may alter the flow of cerebrospinal fluid at the cervico-cranial junction and may cause fluid pulsations and widening of the central canal. The... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Conservative first: Conservative management: nsaids, positional maneuvers (lying down with leg elevated on chair etc, hip and knee both flexed at 90 degrees), gradual inc... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years agoMerged
A 28-year-old female asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
See your MD: These are good reasons to see your md for a history and physical.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 20-year-old male asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Chew gum: First, make sure you don't have consumption (tuberculosis). Secondly, could you have protein malabsorption? Adding different sources of protein may he... Read More
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4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Not usually.: Often an MRI diagnosis. Symptoms can be disabling in which case surgery (chiari decompression) will help.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Hand surgeon: Hand surgeon if the cyst is on the hand/wrist.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years agoMerged
A 27-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Surgeon: General surgeon or hand surgeon depending on the location.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years agoMerged
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Rarely a problem: Osteophytes are bone spurs which commonly form as the spine ages, a type of internal re-enforcement. They do not usually cause trouble unless they sta... Read More
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4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old male asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Usually the opposite: Majority of neurotoxins cause neuronal dysfunction or even cell death. Excitatory Amino Acids are involved in cell damage following ischemia or trauma... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Yes, possibly: Injury to the pituitary stalk can potentially lead to galactorrhea (case reports available), although the impact would likely affect other hormones as... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 22-year-old female asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Temporary: Acupuncture is only a small part of traditional chinese medicine (tcm). In china it is often used for prevention rather than for treatment.A true tcm... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Not likely.: Degenerative disc disease is not a disease. It is a radiographic diagnosis describing age related changes on a scan. Your back pain may or may not be ... Read More
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5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Surgeon, anatomy: How difficult (or easy) is it to fly a supersonic jet. Depends on operator experience, equipment and what trip you are taking. Belly endo is different... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 43-year-old male asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Not necessarily: Not necessarily. The biomechanical stress on the intervertebral disc is greatest when sitting not standing/walking. When walking makes things worse i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Many causes: From low blood pressure to medication side effects to blocked vessels in the neck to brain tumors, the list of differential diagnoses is long. If it p... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old male asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
That risk is low.: Regarding body piercing, the risks of unemployment far outweigh the risks of meningitis. Regarding infections, the biggest worry is viral hepatitis an... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old female asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Clinical exam: Nerve damage causes specific symptoms, and shows on a clinical examination. See your md for an exam, if in doubt they will send you to a neurologist. ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 36-year-old male asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
If: If person still mobile, spend quality time in gardens or parks. Being with plants and nature helps.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 52-year-old male asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Life expectancy: Prognosis depends on patient age, location of the tumor and extent of resection. This is a tumor with close to 100% death rate. Expected length of s... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 16-year-old female asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
VAD-emergency: Did you have any neck or shoulder injury recently, or any repetitive motion by chance such as throwing balls etc? These symptoms are worrisome for a ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Muscular pain - help: Pain generators likely muscular - have someone apply gentle pressure to the sore muscle areas for 1-2 min at a time. Pain likely to subside after 3-4 ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
No easy answer: No cookie cutter answer here. Recommend to have you referred to a psychologist or psychiatrist depending on other symptoms. They may recommend several... Read More
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5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Aneurysm - lifestyle: Aneurysms do not cause symptoms for most people. If they rupture/burst, they cause subarachnoid hemorrhage which does affect your lifestyle - ICU for ... Read More
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5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 61-year-old female asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Varies: Depends on location and provider. Get quotes from your pain anesthetist.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 27-year-old female asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Go see neurosurgeon: Steroid injections help reduce nerve swelling/inflammation/pain. They do not remove the cause of the problem. Weakness and numbness are signs of nerve... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Medical workup: These sensations appear to be muscular in origin and can be seen in a variety of conditions e.g. Chiari malformation, dermatomyositis, tension myositi... Read More
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5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Often beneficial: Swimming strengthens paraspinous muscles and is very beneficial. Whether it helps in the acute phase of sciatica very much depends on how inflamed the... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old female asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
See your doctor: What is your question? These symptoms are concerning and can have several possible etiologies. Need to be evaluated by your family physician immediat... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old female asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
They can't: A shunt blockage will not show on either ct or xrays. Useful methods to assess for blockage include 1. Radionucleotide shunt study 2. Shunt interroga... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old male asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Fish: Fish oil is extracted from fish scraps. Real fish is better.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Meds, positioning: Nsaids, positioning with hips and knees flexed, cold or heat applications, avoid sitting. If not better in a few weeks may add epidural steroid injec... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 36-year-old male asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Mediterranean: Mediterranean diet - tasty and good for vascular health.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old female asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Pediatric neuro: May represent a neurofibroma. Worthwhile getting your son to a pediatric neurologist or neurosurgeon to assess for other lesions.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old female asked:
I have hydrocephalus i am experiencing. urinary incotinence and diarrhea is hydrocephalus the cause?
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Unlikely: In the elderly, the combination of memory loss, gait ataxia and urinary incontinence point at normal pressure hydrocephalus (nph). The combination of ... Read More
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5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 17-year-old male asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Exam - bone scan: May simply have fractured your tailbone. Have your physician check for sacral fracture. If in doubt, obtain a bone scan which will confirm the diagnos... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Electric dysfunction: Electric dysfunction in the brain parts controlling alternating movements, such as the midbrain and pons. Why and exactly how the cellular circuits i... Read More
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5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
3 years: Two to five years from time of diagnosis for most patients.
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5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 53-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Likely yes: It is being used for that indication.
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4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 24-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
High blood pressure: Most commonly high blood pressure (hypertension), which puts a toll on small brain blood vessels which can rupture and bleed, usually at older age. Ot... Read More
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4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Increased tone: Paralysis of all four limbs with increased muscle tone.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Depends: Any symptoms yet? For asymptomatic cysts - you may never become symptomatic. Cases of sudden death have been discussed but are highly infrequent. As... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Soren Singelanswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Possibly: Overdosing is a risk with this drug and metabolism is affected. Check with your prescribing doctor.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
7
Recommendations
389
Thank you notes
Aug 25, 2013
Very timely and accurate responses.
Jul 17, 2013
Great answers. Very helpful!
Jul 19, 2013
Nice answers. Great job!
HealthTap member
This was very helpful. Thanks! I have tried, unsuccessfully, to explain this phenomenon to various people over the years, family members included, and have been told that I am merely making up an excu...Read More
HealthTap member
This was very helpful. Thanks! I had one of these and had to have the subsequent surgery to remove it, or I was told that coma or death was imminent because of the presence of 'destructive hydrocephal...Read More
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer or tip was very helpful! Thanks! I just hope it's not something serious because I need to wait maybe 3 months more 'til I can get health insurance from my employer.
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
FU Berlin, Faculty of Medicine, Germany
Graduated 1993MD
Residency
University of California, San Diego
Completed 2005
Affiliations
American Association of Neurological Surgeons
Congress of Neurosurgery
Society for Neuro-Oncology
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