John G. Strugar, M.D.
Mission
The general neurosurgery program encompasses all neurosurgical diseases which are not specifically covered under the other highly specialized subspecialties within the Yale neurosurgical community. It provides state-of-the art diagnostic and therapeutic modalities and is designed to be responsive to the neurosurgical needs of the community.
Clinical Care
With immediate access to neurosurgical expertise and state-of-the-art evaluation, our clinical care serves our patients needs whatever that may entail. Clinical care involves spinal disease, peripheral nerve problems, intracranial lesions such as tumors and cysts as well as, adult onset hydrocephalus and the treatment of other such diseases. The latest technology is involved with diagnoses and include MRI/MRA, functional MRI, angiogram, 3D CT reconstructions, complex neurophysiological monitoring and evaluation. Therapeutic modalities include endoscopy, both intracranial and spinal, spinal instrumentation, CT and MR stereotaxis.
The division of general neurosurgery is mainly concerned with patient care within the community. As such, it is the vision that fosters a close working relationship with other community neurosurgeons, both in an advisory and collaborative setting. The emphasis is always on patient care. The patients have ready access to neurosurgical expertise. The patients primary care physician as well as, their specialists in other fields can have a close relationship with their neurosurgical specialist. This close collaborative effort enhances the clinical care expertise within the community.
Our patient care facilities at Yale-New Haven Hospital have access to multi-disciplinary specialty care. There is a ten bed neurological Intensive Care Unit and a dedicated, newly renovated neurological and neurosurgical hospital wing.
Education
The primary educational goal of the general neurosurgery program is to expose Yale and the surrounding community to issues of disease processes commonly affecting the neurosurgical patient. These include education of primary care and internal medical physicians and specific training of residents to the common, yet complex, issues involved in neurosurgical practice. Both outpatient and inpatient management is emphasized.
Because of this divisions close working relationship with the community there is a ready exchange of ideas as well as information between the community neurosurgeons and the neurosurgical department at Yale. This exchange is designed to further the neurosurgical knowledge within the medical community in the Greater New Haven county. The resident staff is exposed to the general neurosurgical issues which will consist of the bulk of their practice after their training is completed. The complex management and therapeutic issues of common neurosurgical problems are addressed in a systematic fashion; teaching takes the form of formal lectures, journal clubs, out-patient clinics, in-patient management, as well as, intraoperative techniques. The goal of such an educational program is to produce a well rounded resident who is ready to practice state-of-the-art neurosurgery.
Research
Our major research component is to develop minimally invasive neurosurgical procedures. The design is such that it would limit surgical incisions. It would limit the need for large exposures and avoid disturbing health tissues in the process of removing pathology. Such new techniques are designed to reduce surgical morbidity, as well as costs, while enabling our neurosurgeons to achieve the same results previously performed with large open surgical cases. This would of course encompass both intracranial as well as, spinal disease. The experimentation is largely performed on cadaveric specimens and in close association with manufacturers of neuroendoscopic equipment. Input into the design of new instruments is crucial in being able to achieve the technical results. This research program is done in close cooperation with both the spine as well as, the skull base neurosurgical service, and will at first be used to supplement open surgical procedures. The goal will be to keep pursuing minimally invasive neurosurgery for the future.
The Yale General Neurosurgery Program can be reached at 203-785-2807
or email to john.strugar@yale.edu
Neurosurgery Faculty/Program Menu
Department of Neurosurgery address and phone number
http://info.yale.med.edu/surgery/neurosur/neuropsycho.html
credits
