Neuro Anesthesia

The division of neurosurgical anesthesiology is very active and performs over 1000 anesthetics annually in the main operating rooms and interventional radiology suite. At University Hospital these cases include cerebrovascular surgery, transsphenoidal pituitary surgery, stereotactic procedure, awake craniotomy, deep brain stimulator placement, vagal nerve stimulator insertion, craniotomy for patients with intra-cerebral tumors, movement disorders and epilepsy.

We also provide anesthesia services for a wide range of spine surgeries including discectomy, laminectomy, corpectomy, spinal fusion, and spinal cord stimulator insertion. Additionally we administer anesthesia in the interventional neuroradiology suite for endovascular tumor and arteriovenous malformation embolization, aneurysm coiling, and cerebral vessel thrombectomy.

Most of the patients undergoing complex neurosurgical procedures under general anesthesia require intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring which is provided by highly trained neurophysiologists. Postoperatively a select group of patients are managed in neurosurgical intensive care unit. This unit provides critical care and recovery services for neurosurgical patients.

The division of neurosurgical anesthesiology provides a broad experience and presents an excellent teaching opportunity for residents and student CRNAs. Resident teaching occurs in the operating rooms, morning didactic sessions and afternoon lectures. The division of neurosurgical anesthesiology is comprised of experienced anesthesiologists who have an excellent collaborative relationship with the neurosurgeons and staff.

The faculty are actively engaged in research projects in which residents and medical students are encouraged to participate. The perioperative teaching of residents includes neuroanatomy, cerebral physiology, effects of anesthetic agents on cerebral physiology, neurological monitoring and management of intracranial hypertension and cerebral edema.

Faculty who contribute to the clinical, teaching, administrative and research activities of the Division of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology include:

Glan Atlas, M.D., M.Sc.
Alex Bekker, M.D., PhD.
Ming Xiong, M.D.