Neurosurgery

Nationally Ranked in Neurosurgery

UT Southwestern Medical Center is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation's top 20 hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery (#18).

Neurosurgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center is a hub for high quality, advanced neurosurgical care and innovation. By always placing patients first and integrating the talents of world-renowned surgeons and nonsurgical experts and researchers, our team offers the latest innovative treatments and comprehensive management of brain and spinal conditions, disorders, and injuries.

We’re ranked as the top neurosurgery program in North Texas, performing about 2,000 complex surgeries a year at UT Southwestern’s University Hospitals. We've been recognized by Healthgrades with a 2019 Cranial Neurosurgery Excellence Award.

UT Southwestern is among the nation’s top programs in cerebrovascular and endovascular neurosurgery, one of the most rapidly advancing fields of medicine. We’ve also recently recruited a world-renowned expert in brain stimulation, to deliver cutting-edge therapies to even more patients.

Experience, Collaboration, Innovation, and Excellence in Neurosurgery

Neurosurgeons at UT Southwestern are highly skilled in diagnosing and treating the full range of neurological conditions, from the common to the complex. The focus is always on the individual patient – delivering the care you need each time.

Our neurosurgeons collaborate with specialists in neurology, neuro-oncology, interventional radiology, pathology, neurocritical care, and physical medicine and rehabilitation to offer excellence in the management of conditions such as:

Our expert, multidisciplinary teams are focused on providing compassionate care that addresses each patient’s specific needs.

Treatment Options

Treatment options for neurosurgical conditions vary, depending on the condition and the best way to access the area that needs treatment. Below are some of the approaches used by UT Southwestern surgeons.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery

Despite having “surgery” in its name, stereotactic radiosurgery is a noninvasive technique in which high doses of radiation beams are delivered to a tumor or lesion inside the brain in a concentrated, extremely precise manner. Many beams of radiation – more than 100 – can be directed at a tumor from different angles.

At the precise location where the beams overlap, the radiation can control the tumor or lesion while minimizing risk to the surrounding healthy tissue. Each beam is weak and causes little damage when entering the body.

Stereotactic radiosurgery usually can be done on an outpatient basis (without a hospital admission). UT Southwestern uses several stereotactic technologies, such as:

• CyberKnife
• Gamma Knife Perfexion, a new technology that can treat more than one area of the body at a time

Using advanced technologies, we are now able to deliver this very precise radiation using only a mask, without the need for a frame that traditionally is attached to the head.

Endovascular Surgery

In these minimally invasive procedures, surgeons use image-guided technology to access certain areas by guiding small catheters through large blood vessels in the body. Neurosurgeons use endovascular surgery to insert balloons, stents, or coils in blood vessels or arteries. We use these techniques for many conditions, such as:

• Sealing off an aneurysm
• Opening blocked arteries of the neck
• Treating vascular malformations

Spine Surgery

Our Spine Center offers advanced diagnostic and treatment technologies and techniques, such as nerve-conduction studies, therapeutic injections, specialized spine imaging, minimally invasive spine surgery, complex reconstructive surgery, and endoscopic surgery.

Post-Surgical Care

After surgery, patients recover either in the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit (neuro ICU) or on the Neurosurgical Unit at Clements University Hospital, one of the world’s premier neurological diagnostic and treatment centers. Both units are staffed by an outstanding team, with specially trained nurses and health care providers to optimize recovery and transition to home.

The neuro ICU is equipped and designed to provide coordinated, compassionate care for patients with life-threatening neurological conditions. If needed, specialists from neurorehabilitation work with patients to help them recover function after surgery.