Baylor Scott & White Neurosurgery and Spine Associates

Stroke is a major cause of death and disability in the United States.  

Most strokes are caused by the blockage of a blood vessel supplying the brain, and these usually occur in older patients.  Other strokes are caused by the rupture of a blood vessel abnormality, such as an aneurysm, and these may occur at any age.  The medical literature reveals that hospitals which care for a high volume of patients with ruptured aneurysms provide better patient outcomes than low volume hospitals.

Our neurosurgeons work with a highly experienced team of stroke neurologists, interventional neuroradiologists, neuro critical care physicians and rehabilitation specialists.  Together they strive to provide the best care possible to each patient with an aneurysm or other cerebrovascular disorder.

Neurosurgeons on the cerebrovascular team:

• Kyle E. Doughty, MD, FAANS
• Kennith Layton, MD, MSc, FACR, FAHA
• Brent C. Morgan, MD
• Richard Naftalis, MD, FAANS, FACS
• Ananth Vellimana, MD

There are three groups of brain tumors. First are those brain tumors that arise within the substance of the brain. Second are those brain tumors that arise elsewhere in the body and spread to the brain, and third are those brain tumors that arise inside the cranial cavity and compress the brain.  Tumors in the first two groups may require treatment with chemotherapy and radiation in addition to surgery.  Tumors in the third group are usually benign, and many are cured with surgery alone.  For those tumors that require additional treatment with chemotherapy or radiation, our neurosurgeons work closely with neuro-oncologists and radiation oncologists.

All of our surgeons at Baylor Scott & White Neurosurgery and Spine Associates have experience in the treatment of brain tumors.  Many brain tumors may be safely removed in any of our Baylor Scott & White Medical Centers, but some require specialized equipment and surgical teams available only at Baylor University Medical Center, or similar flagship hospitals in other healthcare systems.  Your coordination of care will be handled in those cases. 

Neurosurgeons on the brain tumor team:

• Bledi C. Brahimaj, MD
• Kyle E. Doughty, MD, FAANS
• Atif Haque, MD, FAANS, FACS
• Brian J. Hood, MD, FAANS
• Tejas Karnati, MD, BS
• Edward Kerr, MD, FAANS
• Bruce Edward Mickey, MD
• Brent C. Morgan, MD
• Richard Naftalis, MD, FAANS, FACS
• Ananth Vellimana, MD
• Andrew Wong, MD
 

Most patients with epilepsy have seizures that can be effectively treated with medication, but some have seizures that cannot be controlled with medication alone.  Patients with drug resistant epilepsy benefit from inpatient evaluation in an epilepsy monitoring unit such as the one at Baylor University Medical Center.

Our neurosurgeons at Baylor Scott & White Neurosurgery and Spine Associates work with and support a highly experienced team of epilepsy neurologists in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit at Baylor University Medical Center. When a patient with drug resistant epilepsy is identified, they stand ready to help localize and remove the seizure focus and improve seizure control. 

Neurosurgeons on the epilepsy surgery team:

• Bledi C. Brahimaj, MD
• Bruce Edward Mickey, MD
• Richard Naftalis, MD, FAANS, FACS
  
   

Our neurosurgeons at Baylor Scott & White Neurosurgery and Spine Associates diagnose and treat conditions related to the brain and nervous system, including the spine and spinal cord. They determine which conditions require surgical intervention, and which problems may be effectively treated without surgery.  When surgery is indicated, they work together to plan the safest and least invasive solution to each patient’s problem.  

Our providers at Baylor Scott & White Neurosurgery and Spine Associates care for patients at the Baylor Scott & White Medical Centers in Plano, McKinney, and Grapevine in addition to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas and Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center in Fort Worth.  

In some cases, a patient requiring subspecialty care may be referred from one neurosurgeon to another, or from one hospital to another.

Our neurosurgeon team at Baylor Scott & White Neurosurgery and Spine Associates:

• Bledi C. Brahimaj, MD
• Kyle E. Doughty, MD, FAANS
• Justin Dowdy, MD
• Atif Haque, MD, FAANS, FACS
• Brian J. Hood, MD, FAANS
• Tejas Karnati, MD, BS
• Edward Kerr, MD, FAANS
• Bruce Edward Mickey, MD
• Brent C. Morgan, MD
• Richard Naftalis, MD, FAANS, FACS
• Ananth Vellimana, MD
• Andrew Wong, MD
 

The skull base is a complex and intricate anatomical region that houses many vital structures.  The care of patients with pituitary tumors, meningiomas, acoustic neuromas, and other tumors that involve the skull base benefits from a team approach involving neurosurgeons, ENT skull base surgeons, oculoplastic surgeons, endocrinologists, neuroradiologists, and radiation oncologists.  

Our neurosurgeons at Baylor Scott & White Neurosurgery and Spine Associates work closely with a highly experienced skull base team at Baylor University Medical Center to provide the best care possible to each patient with a skull base or pituitary tumor. 

Neurosurgeons on the skull base and pituitary tumor team:

• Bledi C. Brahimaj, MD
• Kyle E. Doughty, MD, FAANS
• Edward Kerr, MD, FAANS
• Bruce Edward Mickey, MD
• Brent C. Morgan, MD
• Richard Naftalis, MD, FAANS, FACS
• Ananth Vellimana, MD
• Andrew Wong, MD

Stereotactic radiosurgery takes advantage of the precision provided by modern neuroimaging and the power of computerized planning to treat tumors and other intracranial disease processes with tightly focused beams of radiation.  Diseases that may be treated with this technology include benign brain tumors such as meningiomas, acoustic neuromas, and pituitary adenomas; cancer that has spread to the brain from other sites in the body; vascular malformations; and some functional disorders such as trigeminal neuralgia.

For patients with diseases that might be treated with stereotactic radiosurgery, our neurosurgeons at Baylor Scott & White Neurosurgery and Spine Associates work closely with experienced radiation oncologists and radiation physicists to develop safe and effective treatment plans.  Some patients may be treated in the Texas Oncology Department of Radiation Therapy at Baylor University Medical Center.  Others may be referred for proton therapy treatment or Gamma Knife radiosurgery at other flagship hospitals or facilities in the area. 

Neurosurgeons on the stereotactic radiosurgery tumor team:

• Bledi C. Brahimaj, MD
• Kyle E. Doughty, MD, FAANS
• Edward Kerr, MD, FAANS
• Kennith Layton, MD, MSc, FACR, FAHA
• Bruce Edward Mickey, MD
• Brent C. Morgan, MD
• Richard Naftalis, MD, FAANS, FACS
  
• Ananth Vellimana, MD
• Andrew Wong, MD
 

Neck and back pain are major causes of disability in the United States.  

The spine is the structure that supports your body, helps you move, and contains the nervous system's superhighway, the spinal cord. Neurosurgeons are trained to diagnose and treat conditions related to the brain and nervous system, including the spine and spinal cord. They determine which conditions require surgical intervention, and which problems may be effectively treated without surgery. 

When surgery is indicated, our neurosurgeons at Baylor Scott & White Neurosurgery and Spine Associates work together to plan the safest and least invasive solution to each patient’s spinal disorder.  They collaborate with physical therapists and pain management physicians to restore function to those patients for whom surgery is not the best option.

Conditions treated include herniated discs, spinal stenosis, scoliosis, spinal trauma, and spinal tumors.

Neurosurgeons on the spine care team:

• Bledi C. Brahimaj, MD
• Kyle E. Doughty, MD, FAANS
• Justin Dowdy, MD
• Atif Haque, MD, FAANS, FACS
• Brian J. Hood, MD, FAANS
• Tejas Karnati, MD, BS
• Edward Kerr, MD, FAANS
• Brent C. Morgan, MD
• Richard Naftalis, MD, FAANS, FACS
• Ananth Vellimana, MD
• Andrew Wong, MD