• Diagnosing or removing brain tumors.
• Clipping or repairing an aneurysm.
• Removing blood or blood clots from a leaking blood vessel under the skull.
• Removing an arteriovenous malformation (AVM).
• Draining a brain abscess.
• Repairing a tear in the membrane lining the brain.
• Relieving intracranial pressure by removing damaged or swollen areas of the brain caused by traumatic injury or stroke.
• Treating epilepsy.

Alternative treatments depend on the objective of the procedure. In the case of small tumors, aneurysm, or small abnormal blood vessels, a gamma knife or stereotactic surgery may be used.