Vanderbilt Clinical Neurosciences

The Vanderbilt vascular neurosurgery program cares for people with cerebrovascular disorders using two approaches:

• Minimally invasive endovascular treatment using a catheter placed in an artery or vein
• Open surgery

Our surgeons treat neurovascular conditions including:

• Intracranial aneurysms
• Arteriovenous malformations and fistulae
• Vertebral and carotid stenosis
• Intracranial stenosis
• Moyamoya disease
• Stroke
• Trigeminal neuralgia

Many of these disorders can be treated by more than one technique, such as angioplasty and stent placement or endarterectomy for carotid stenosis.

About Our Team

Because Vanderbilt neurosurgeons are skilled in both approaches, we can offer the best treatment option for each patient. Some disorders such as arteriovenous malformations often require both types of treatment. In some cases, our neurosurgeons may work with Fen Xia, M.D. of Radiation Oncology for stereotactic radiosurgery.

Our Vascular Neurosurgery program works closely with the stroke neurology team for many types of disorders, including acute stroke. We can treat cerebrovascular occlusions outside the intravenous tPA window using the Merci or Penumbra device. We hold a cerebrovascular conference weekly to discuss challenging cases.

Endovascular procedures are done in a state-of-the-art neurointerventional angiography suite in the main hospital. We treat pediatric patients in the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Research

We are also deeply involved in research to find new treatments and improve patient care. As part of one of the nation's leading academic medical centers, our mission is to offer our patients better care through innovation and discovery.