Neurosurgery

Neurological surgery, also called neurosurgery, is the branch of medicine that provides both operative and non-operative management of disorders that affect the central and peripheral nervous systems, including their supportive structures and vascular supply, and the operative and non-operative management of pain.

Neurological surgery encompasses disorders of the brain, spine, and nerves, including the following:

• the extracranial and intracranial carotid and vertebral arteries
• disorders of the pituitary gland
• tumors in and around the brain
• disorders of the spinal cord, meninges, and spine, including those which may require treatment by removing or replacing intervertabral discs, spinal fusion, or instrumentation
• disorders of the peripheral nerves
• disorders of the autonomic nervous system

The surgeon who specializes in neurological surgery is called a neurosurgeon or neurological surgeon.

The facilities at Rochester General include state-of-the-art equipment for microscopic and stereotactic surgery. Members of the section of Neurosurgery work closely with staff from the sections of Neurology and Neuroradiology in the diagnosis and care of patients.

Webster H. Pilcher, MD, PhD, Chairman   

Dr. Pilcher is a fellowship-trained neurosurgeon who specializes in epilepsy surgery, Dr. Pilcher joined the University of Rochester Medical Center faculty in 1991. In addition to his general neurosurgical practice, he is affiliated with the Strong Epilepsy Center.

Dr. Pilcher received his medical and doctoral degrees from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and completed his neurosurgical residency at Strong Memorial Hospital. He completed fellowship training in neurosurgery and epilepsy surgery at the University of Washington, Seattle. 

James Maxwell, MD, Division Head (585) 342-7170

Dr. Maxwell has been a member of the Medical and Dental Staff at Rochester General Hospital since 1981, and serves at the Division Head of Neurological Surgery at RGH.

Dr. Maxwell earned his Medical Degree from Columbia University and completed his residency at Strong Memorial Hospital and a Fellowship at the Neurological Institute of New York (where he served as Chief Resident) and The National Hospital Queens Square.

He is board certified and a member of the International College of Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

 Howard Silberstein, MD

Dr. Silberstein received his medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine and interned in general surgery at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Rutgers Medical School, Camden. He completed his neurosurgery training at the University of Connecticut/Hartford Hospital, a program that included a six-month clinical/research fellowship at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

Dr. Silberstein has completed a fellowship in pediatric neurosurgery at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.  He is board certified and specializes in Pediatric and General neurosurgery.

G. Edward Vates, MD, PhD

Dr. Vates received his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College and attended graduate school at Rockefeller University.  He completed his residency at the University of California, San Francisco, and fellowship training in Cerbrovascular and Skull Base Surgery at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Boston and Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Vates’ special interests include Cerebrovascular Surgery (Brain Aneurysms, Vascular Malformations), Skull Based Tumors, Pituitary Surgery, Carotid Endarterectomy, Stroke, and General Neurosurgery.

Kevin A. Walter, MD

Dr. Walter is a board certified neurosurgeon who completed medical school, residency, and fellowship training at the Johns Hopkins Medical School.

Dr. Walter specializes in taking care of patients afflicted with cancer of the brain and spine. As a translational research scientist, Dr. Walter’s practice couples the latest in surgical techniques including radiosurgery, image guided surgery, and minimally invasive technology with innovative treatment concepts such as intratumoral chemotherapy, brachytherapy, and gene therapy. He runs a research lab that investigates the molecular basis for tumor angiogenesis, the process by which brain tumors recruit a blood supply. He also studies cerebral edema, or brain swelling, and ways to reverse its effects in tumors, trauma, and stroke.
 

Andrew Wensel, MD

Dr. Andrew M. Wensel has joined the University of Rochester Medical Center and serves as an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery to provide comprehensive neurosurgical care at Rochester General Hospital.

As a native of Rochester, Dr. Wensel returned after earning his MD in Cleveland at Case Western Reserve University. During his residency he selected a focus in skull base surgery, complex spine, and deep brain stimulation. Dr. Wensel is board-eligible in the United States. He is a member of several professional organizations (including the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons) and is published on topics including treatment of aneurysms, as well as neurocritical care of intracerebral hemorrhage and stroke.

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