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Inside Neurosurgery
March 2025 | News & Updates
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Dear Colleagues, Patients and Friends,
I am pleased to introduce the Weill Cornell Medicine Neurosurgery Newsletter, a monthly update highlighting our latest advancements in patient care, research and education.
Each issue will feature groundbreaking treatments, patient success stories and expert insights from our world-class team. We look forward to keeping you informed and engaged as we continue to advance neurosurgical care.
Thank you for your trust and support.
Philip E. Stieg, PhD, MD
Chair and Neurosurgeon-in-Chief
Weill Cornell Medicine
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400 Patients Treated with Focused Ultrasound—A New Era in Care | We’ve now performed 400+ focused ultrasound treatments for essential tremor—offering a non-invasive, incision-free solution for patients. Learn how this breakthrough is changing lives. | |
Weill Cornell Medicine Launches Tanzania’s First Endoscopy Course | Weill Cornell Medicine has expanded its Tanzania Neurosurgery Program with the launch of the MOI Endoscopy Course, the region’s first dedicated endoscopy training program. Held from February 3-7, 2025, the course provided hands-on training to local surgeons, furthering the initiative to improve neurosurgical care in East Africa. | |
Dr. Rachel Bratescu, a former spine fellow at Weill Cornell Medicine, is breaking barriers in spine surgery. With more than 95 percent of orthopedic spine surgeons being male, Dr. Bratescu stands out for her exceptional skill and pioneering role as a woman in the field. | |
Delivering Medication to Treat Pediatric Brain Tumors with Enhanced Precision | At the 2024 Joint Pediatric Section Annual Meeting, resident Alexandra Giantini Larsen, M.D., presented an abstract, Dosimetry Based Locoregional Drug Delivery for Pediatric Brain Tumors, which set the bar for where the global neurosurgery and neuro-oncology communities should be for implementing enhanced drug delivery. | |
Canadian Spine Society Highlights Surgical Advances | |
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Dr. Roger Härtl was featured as an honored guest at the Canadian Spine Society conference in Quebec. He delivered an invited lecture on "Enabling Technologies and Patient Selection in Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery."
Dr. Härtl shared his expertise on the "6 Ts" approach to minimally invasive procedures and discussed innovative technologies advancing the field. His presentation also highlighted the ongoing Tanzania project, demonstrating his commitment to global neurosurgical education.
Discover more about spine surgery and its innovative advancements.
Learn More About Spine Surgery
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Recent Publications & Research Highlights | |
New Study Confirms Cognitive Safety of Minimally Invasive Colloid Cyst Surgery | |
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A recent study led by Dr. Umberto Tosi and Dr. Amanda Sacks-Zimmerman, published in Cancers, provides reassuring news for patients undergoing surgery for colloid cysts—benign brain growths in the third ventricle. The research, which tracked 20 patients before and after minimally invasive endoscopic surgery, found no significant impact on cognitive function, including memory, attention, and problem-solving.
These findings highlight the benefits of Weill Cornell Medicine’s advanced surgical techniques, offering safer options for patients while preserving brain function.
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Our First Focused Ultrasound Patient Comes Back for Seconds
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In 2016, Alexandra Lebenthal became our first patient treated with MRI-guided focused ultrasound (FUS) after the FDA approved it for essential tremor. Since then, she and her husband, Jay, have moved to a new apartment; two of their three children have graduated from college, and the third — a middle-schooler in 2016 — is now a college sophomore. Most importantly, Alexandra has grown happily accustomed to having her dominant (left) hand be steady for the first time since her childhood. The innovative procedure worked well, and years later Alexandra is still over the moon about the improvement. | |
Request Your Neurosurgery Appointment Today | |
Whether you're seeking a second opinion or ready to explore treatment options, our specialists are here to help. Take the next step in your care journey today. | |
Small Bodies, Great Minds: A Contemporary, Team Based Forum | |
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Join Mark M. Souweidane, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.A.P. for our upcoming webinar, “Dos and Don’ts: Living with Hydrocephalus Treatment.” This session will provide essential guidance on managing life after hydrocephalus treatment, addressing common concerns, misconceptions, and best practices for patients and caregivers.
This event is free to attend, but registration is required.
Register Here
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Elaine M. Regacho, MSN, FNP-BC | |
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This month, we’re highlighting Elaine Regacho, a skilled Family Nurse Practitioner with over 7 years of experience in neurology and neurosurgery. Elaine works alongside Dr. Philip Stieg to provide exceptional care to neurosurgical patients at Weill Cornell Medicine.
With a background at Rush University Medical Center, UCSF Medical Center, and teaching at the University of San Francisco, Elaine brings a wealth of knowledge and compassion to her work. Her dedication to excellence in patient care makes her an invaluable member of our Department of Neurological Surgery!
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