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Columbia University Department of Neurological Surgery

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Columbia University Department of Neurological Surgery

A world leader in neurological and spine health. Excellence in patient care, cutting-edge research, and training. Join us in advancing neurosurgical health.

Welcome to the Department of Neurological Surgery at Columbia University Medical Center and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, where exceptional patient care, innovative research and cutting edge technology converge in a world-class academic environment for the treatment of neurological diseases. Columbia Neurosurgery’s vision is to provide clarity and the best possible outcomes for all of our patients – and we want you to be a part of that effort. Columbia Neurosurgery’s page is an online information platform provided to the community for educational purposes only. Any and all comments are monitored and reviewed to ensure they comply with our commenting guidelines. If you have specific neurosurgical-related health condition, please call your healthcare provider for examination, or contact us through our website at www.columbianeursurgery.org. By viewing or posting comments, links or other information on Columbia Neurosurgery’s page, you agree to:

1. Be respectful of others.
2. Post comments that are appropriate and relevant.
3. Not use language that discriminates based on race, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, etc.
4. Not post anything that is obscene, abusive, libelous, threatening or otherwise illegal.
5. Not impersonate any other person or allow another person to use your identity to post or view comments.
6. Not post advertisements, business solicitations or spam.
7. Not post materials that are copyrighted or trademarked. All comments and other posts are subject to review by Columbia Neurosurgery. Those that do not abide by these policies will be removed.

02/11/2026

In this recorded session from , Justin Neira, MD, spine tumor surgeon at Columbia Neurosurgery, breaks down the diagnosis and surgical decision-making behind intramedullary spinal cord tumors—a rare and highly complex group of tumors that require nuance, restraint, and real-time judgment in the operating room.

Key ideas from the talk:
• Why imaging clues matter when distinguishing tumor types
• How intraoperative monitoring guides when to continue—and when to stop
• Why preserving spinal cord function can outweigh aggressive resection
• The role of multidisciplinary and dual-surgeon approaches in complex cases
• How clear preoperative counseling prepares patients for recovery

Watch the full session via the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?rco=1&utm_content=sked_698bb8391dfb81b44cf489fa&utm_medium=social&utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook&v=BykmWOt01CY

02/09/2026

For International Day, we want to share a new study led by the Columbia Neurosurgery team analyzed outcomes for patients with epilepsy caused by prior stroke who underwent surgery.

What this means for patients:
• Some people with stroke-related epilepsy may have a higher chance of becoming seizure-free after surgery
• Waiting many years before surgical evaluation may reduce the likelihood of seizure freedom
• Certain stroke-related causes were linked to fewer surgical complications

Published in Epilepsy Research, this research helps patients and care teams have clearer, more informed conversations about when surgery may be an option.

Full study available via link below

Adrian E. Jimenez, MD, Neil A. Feldstein, MD, Guy M. McKhann, MD, E. Sander Connolly, MD, and Brett E. Youngerman, MD

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41289957/?utm_content=sked_698a50c3a8735e64309a73b0&utm_medium=social&utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook

02/06/2026

Congratulations to Grace Mandigo, MD on publishing her latest paper in Surgical Neurology International, titled "Middle Meningeal Artery Embolization for Migraine: A Review."

This work examines middle meningeal artery (MMA) embolization as a potential treatment approach for chronic migraine—an often underdiagnosed and frequently dismissed condition that disproportionately affects women.

The review highlights the role of the trigeminovascular system and emerging evidence suggesting that targeting the MMA may lead to sustained symptom improvement with a strong safety profile.

Several Columbia Neurosurgery residents, Deb Boyett, MD and Nathan Shlobin, MD, along with Columbia Neurosurgery's Sean Lavine, MD, are also contributors to this publication.

Read more in the link below:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41409859/?utm_content=sked_6983cfac073cab6bc7cdb8d7&utm_medium=social&utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook

02/05/2026

A major step forward in epilepsy care starts with research like this.

We’re proud to congratulate Dr. Brett Youngerman on receiving a prestigious NIH UG3–UH3 grant to advance a next-generation neural interface for epilepsy monitoring and brain mapping.

The project centers on a fully implantable, wireless system designed to improve how brain activity is recorded in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. By increasing electrode density and eliminating wired connections, this technology aims to improve data quality while reducing patient burden.

Building on the Bioelectronic Interface System to the Cortex (BISC), the modular system features:

🔷 Support for up to 1,024 recording and stimulating electrodes per implant
🔷 Wireless, flexible arrays designed for minimally invasive, long-term, personalized monitoring
🔷 Potential for seizure monitoring and localization beyond the hospital

This multidisciplinary work is led by MPIs Dr. Brett Youngerman [TAG], Dr. Ken Shepard, and Dr. Catherine Schevon, in collaboration with Kampto Neurotech, uniting expertise across neurosurgery, neurology, and engineering.

To learn more, click the link below:

https://www.neurosurgery.columbia.edu/news/congratulations-dr-brett-youngerman-nih-ug3-uh3-award?utm_content=sked_6983cc4bbf35c33e51ff76a5&utm_medium=social&utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook

02/04/2026

On World Cancer Day, we’re highlighting innovative research at Columbia Neurosurgery focused on improving treatment options for patients with glioblastoma, one of the most challenging brain cancers.

Led by neurosurgeon Brian J.A. Gill, MD, the site investigator at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia University Medical Center for the SONOBIRD clinical trial, this research explores the use of focused ultrasound sonication to temporarily disrupt the blood–brain barrier — a major obstacle in delivering therapies directly to brain tumors.

While the trial has been temporarily on hold, the team plans to re-initiate patient screening this month, continuing momentum around this promising approach.

“It has been a privilege to offer this trial to patients with recurrent glioblastoma. The underlying concept is highly promising, device implantation has proceeded smoothly, and patients have shown strong interest in participating.”

Learn more about the SONOBIRD trial in the link in bio.

https://www.neurosurgery.columbia.edu/news/disrupting-blood-brain-barrier-sonication-improve-glioblastoma-treatment?utm_content=sked_6983704100dd73618521e8b0&utm_medium=social&utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook

02/03/2026

Your brain doesn’t need perfection. It needs structure, peace, consistency, and care.

This year, consider resolutions that support how your brain actually works, not just how busy life expects you to be.

Which one resonates most?

02/02/2026

In this keynote, Michael Wang, MD, Chief of Service, Medical Director, Minimally Invasive Spine at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, reflects on the future of minimally invasive spine surgery and why efficiency is no longer optional.

He frames awake endoscopic fusion as a response to rising costs, fixed reimbursement, and the need to safely treat patients who were once considered inoperable — including elderly, high-risk, and physiologically fragile populations.

Key takeaways:
• Why productivity matters as much as technique
• How awake, endoscopic approaches reduce anesthesia time and resource use
• What time savings mean for access, outcomes, and sustainability
• Lessons from the pandemic on building resilient surgical models

The takeaway: the next era of spine surgery will be defined by approaches that balance innovation with practicality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?utm_content=sked_6980ed98f85a85e734d988f9&utm_medium=social&utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook&v=aMH9PJQgUyM

01/27/2026

Adult spinal deformity surgery has long carried high complication rates — and that reality has forced the field to rethink how correction is achieved.

In this talk, Andrew Chan, MD, Director of the Minimally Invasive Scoliosis Program at Columbia Neurosurgery, presents a data-driven case for circumferential minimally invasive surgery in carefully selected deformity patients.

He covers:
🔹 Why circumferential MIS avoids many complications inherent to open posterior approaches
🔹 How patient-specific, 3D-printed interbody cages enable precise, reproducible correction
🔹 Addressing lordosis and stenosis simultaneously without posterior osteotomies
🔹 Treating rigid and ankylosed spines without the morbidity of three-column PSOs
🔹 Preserving posterior soft tissue and construct flexibility to mitigate PJK
🔹 Applying MIS principles in complex revision cases

Watch the full video in the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?utm_content=sked_6978cf5b39d497919b6758ed&utm_medium=social&utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook&v=zkJYPbky0Mk

01/21/2026

How do we bring clarity to complex neurological conditions?

New consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and clinical management of cavernous malformations of the brain and spinal cord were published in Neurosurgery, following a rigorous systematic review of nearly a decade of research.

This work was led by the Alliance to Cure Cavernous Malformation and developed by a multidisciplinary panel of clinical experts, including Paul C. McCormick, MD, who reviewed more than 2,600 publications to establish evidence-based recommendations across diagnosis, imaging, genetics, neurosurgical decision-making, and long-term care.

For clinicians, these guidelines support more consistent, data-informed care.

For patients, they offer greater transparency into how complex care decisions are made — and where ongoing research is still needed.

The full paper is available via the link below.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40396744/?utm_content=sked_696fbe620d81be394b1f0528&utm_medium=social&utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook

01/20/2026

Spinal alignment isn’t just about “straightening the spine.”

In this talk, Peter D. Angevine, MD, Professor of Neurological Surgery at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, explains why posture, balance, and spinal shape matter as much as measurements on an X-ray.

He breaks down how spine care has evolved—from focusing on a few numbers to understanding how the entire body compensates to stay upright, conserve energy, and move comfortably.

Key ideas include:
• Why some patients “look balanced” but still struggle with pain or fatigue
• How newer alignment approaches account for age, posture, and natural spinal curves
• Why surgical planning isn’t one-size-fits-all—and how over- or under-correction can impact outcomes

The takeaway: the goal isn’t perfect numbers. It’s helping people stand, move, and live with less pain and more efficiency.

To watch the full video from , visit the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?utm_content=sked_696fbb29fec0dcc5fc35501c&utm_medium=social&utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook&v=aiP_A1d26M4

01/16/2026

🎙 Take a listen to The Neurosurgery Podcast LIVE from Brainwaves 2025!

What happens when you put a top neurosurgical chair and two outspoken podcast hosts on stage together?

A bold, on-the-record conversation about the most pressing and controversial issues facing neurosurgery today.

🎧 In this live episode, Columbia Neurosurgery Chair Dr. Sander Connolly joins host of the Neurosurgery Podcast, Dr. Michael Wang and John Paul Kolcun to answer:

1️⃣ Should non-neurosurgeons be treating neurological conditions?
2️⃣ Is neurosurgeon autonomy disappearing—and what can we do about it?
3️⃣ Why don’t we have doctor-run hospitals in the U.S.?
4️⃣ Could collective bargaining protect physicians and trainees?
5️⃣ How do we stand up for residents?

This is one conversation every neurosurgeon should hear!

🎧 Listen now on Spotify (link below) https://open.spotify.com/episode/5b13Kgwa8Qxi6HxQ2F6Rp4?si=Ej4cRnJ0QsWa1GZ9gsOvWg&utm_content=sked_696909756682deabcfaf6e47&utm_medium=social&utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook

01/15/2026

Some brain tumors and seizure-causing lesions can be treated without traditional open surgery.

Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy, or LITT, is a minimally invasive procedure that uses laser energy to precisely target abnormal tissue while sparing surrounding healthy brain. Guided by real-time MRI imaging, neurosurgeons can monitor treatment as it happens, allowing for a highly controlled approach.

At Columbia Neurosurgery, our team specializes in advanced, image-guided techniques like LITT for carefully selected patients, offering options that may reduce recovery time while maintaining surgical precision.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a brain tumor or epilepsy and are exploring treatment options, our specialists are here to help guide the next step.

Watch Dr. Brett Youngermann's talk at to learn more. Link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?utm_content=sked_696905905ef26efaa48786ab&utm_medium=social&utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook&v=67VHmRuiJJw

Address

710 W 168th Street, Fl 4th
New York, NY
10032

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+12123057950

Website

http://neurosurgery.columbia.edu/

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