Department of Neurosurgery

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Brown Neurosurgery Launches Brain and Spine Robotic Surgery Programs!

Brown Neurosurgery is pleased to announce the successful completion of both the first spine and the first brain robotic surgeries on patients at Lifespan’s Rhode Island Hospital. These procedures were performed by Dr. Oyelese, Director of the Division of Spinal Neurosurgery, and Dr. Asaad, Director of the Division of Functional and Epilepsy Neurosurgery respectively using Globus Excelsius Robots and combined real-time intraoperative neuroimaging with robotic guidance for improved accuracy, safety, and efficiency.

Dr. Oyelese performing the first spinal robotic case at Rhode Island Hospital.

As part of our continuing effort to provide our patients the safest and most precise neurosurgical care, Brown Neurosurgery has added two new Globus Excelsius Robotic Surgical Systems to our existing Computer-Assisted Navigation Technology used to treat disorders of the brain and spine. The addition of this new technology officially launches the Brown Neurosurgery Brain and Spine Robotics Program and follows over a decade where the program has been a national leader in the field of computer-assisted, image-guided navigation-based precision brain and spine surgery.

Dr. Asaad performing the first cranial robotic case at Rhode Island Hospital.

The new robotics program builds on the long history of innovation and early adoption of cutting-edge technology by Brown Neurosurgery, a part of the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Norman Prince Neuroscience and Spine Institutes at Lifespan.  Brown Neurosurgery was the first to offer Gammaknife radiosurgery in the Northeast, was among the first in the nation to use incisionless High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) technology in the treatment of movement disorders, the first fetal neurosurgery program in New England, and was the first site in the U.S. and the world to perform deep brain stimulation for the treatment of OCD and depression.  In addition, the program offers cutting-edge, precision MRI-guided laser ablation treatment (Visulase) for epilepsy. Brown Neurosurgery has been a national leader in the field of computer-assisted, image-guided, navigation-based precision spine surgery as the first program in the country to utilize intraoperative mobile CT computer-assisted navigation in spine surgery.  Now, as the first program in New England to utilize both the brain and spine Globus Excelsius robotic technology, we further expand our capabilities to ensure high-quality, world-class care for all our patients, whether they are coming from our local neighborhoods or from across the country.

Featured

Adetokunbo A. Oyelese, MD, PhD

Professor of Neurosurgery
Vice-Chair, Strategy and Business Development
Director, Norman Prince Spine Institute
Director, Spinal Surgery Division

Wael F. Asaad, MD, PhD

Sidney A. Fox and Dorothea Doctors Fox Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science
Professor of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience
Vice-Chair, Research
Director, Functional and Epilepsy Neurosurgery Program
Director, Laboratory for Neurophysiology and Neuromodulation
Associate Director, Neurosurgery Residency Training Program
Director, Fellowship in Functional & Epilepsy Neurosurgery