Cerebrovascular/ Neurointerventional Surgery
Our dual-trained neurosurgeons specialize in both cerebrovascular and neurointerventional surgery, and by working with the Departments of Neurology and Radiology, provide an integrated surgical and endovascular approach to treating stroke,TIA, subarachnoid and intracerebral hemorrhage,brain aneurysms, brain and spine vascular malformations, carotid and intracranial stenosis and other complex cerebrovascular disorders.
Education
The Department of Neurological Surgery hosts multiple academic events related to cerebrovascular topics each year. Through our affiliated hospitals and care sites, residents and fellows work with faculty to help treat patients with complex cerebrovascular pathology including stroke, brain aneurysms, cerebral and spinal arteriovenous malformations, carotid stenosis and moyamoya disease. Residents and fellows have extensive exposure to diagnostic and imaging interpretation skills and learn cranial, skull-base and spinal approaches to diverse vascular pathology in the CNS. They also receive instruction in the use of catheters, guidewires, stents, endovascular devices/materials, and augment their proficiency in technical aspects of modern high-resolution biplanar neuroangiography. Attention to the complete spectrum of multimodal, team-based, individualized treatment planning for each patient is emphasized, including preoperative and long-term postoperative follow-up care.
Research
Some of our current clinical trials and technological development work include:
- ESCAPE-MeVO: Endovascular Treatment to Improve Outcomes for Medium Vessel Occlusions
- FASTEST: rFVIIa for Acute Hemorrhagic Stroke Administered at Earliest Time
- Endoscopic evacuation of intracerebral hemorrhage (including associated clinical trials e.g., MIND, REASSESS)
- Irrigating intracranial catheters for treatment of intraventricular hemorrhage (including associated clinical trials e.g., ARCH)
- Middle meningeal artery embolization for treatment of subdural hematoma (including associated clinical trials e.g., CHESS)
- Complex flow diversion of intracranial aneurysms (including associated clinical trials e.g., PIANO, EVOLVE retrospective)
- Complex intrasaccular treatment of intracranial aneurysms (including associated clinical trials e.g., CITADEL)
- Aneurysm Wall Histology Registry
- High Resolution Intracranial Vessel Wall MRI imaging
Patient Care
In collaboration with the Stroke Center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, our faculty provide a thoughtful, multidisciplinary, team-based approach, tailored to each specific patient’s presentation and preferences. We provide the most advanced treatments (medical, surgical, endovascular and/or radiosurgery) for a broad range of cerebrovascular conditions, including:
- Acute ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke
- Cavernous malformations/angiomas (craniotomy, radiosurgery)
- Cerebral aneurysms(coiling, clipping, flow diversion)
- Cerebral/spinal arteriovenous malformations and dural arteriovenous fistulas (craniotomy, embolization, radiosurgery)
- Carotid/vertebral artery disease (stenosis, dissection, endarterectomy, stenting)
- Embolization for head/neck/spin, epistaxis
- Extracranial AVMand lymphatic/venous malformations of the head, neck and spine
- Idiopathic intracranial hypertension/venous stenosis (dural venous sinus stenting)
- Intracranial stenosis (angioplasty, stenting, bypass)
- Moyamoya Disease (direct/indirect EC-IC bypass surgery)
- Neurovascular compression syndromes (trigeminal neuralgia, hemifacial spasm)
- Transient ischemic attacks
Additionally, Northwestern hosts a quarterly Brain Aneurysm and AVM Support Group, dedicated to providing an open and supportive environment where patients and families can learn more about their conditions, treatments and outcomes.