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Welcome to the home page for the Department of Neurosurgery at the Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans.

In these challenging times facing all physicians in the United States, especially in the Gulf South, the Department of Neurosurgery has undergone vital change and growth in order to continue its traditions of excellence. We have sought to provide our community with innovative patient care, outstanding education, and cutting edge research to advance the field of Neurosurgery. In the past year, we have added a very busy Neurovascular and Neuro-Oncology service to our training program. Our Neurovascular service is the largest in the region, and treats approximately 120 aneurysm patients per year. Our stereotaxic radiosurgery program, using the CyberKnife® Stereotactic Radiosurgery System, offers cutting edge treatment for patients with tumors and vascular disorders. The deep brain stimulation and epilepsy program, which was discontinued after Hurricane Katrina, will once again resume operations in January 2008.

The training of Neurosurgery residents is one of our highest priorities, and we take pride in each resident's long-term success. The Neurosurgery residency training program is approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Residents perform a one-year internship before entering the Neurosurgery program. The training program itself encompasses a total of six years, with residents performing one year of laboratory research and the remaining five years in clinical work. Residents have at their disposal eleven faculty members who offer a variety of neurosurgical specialties. Training takes place at three local hospitals – Ochsner Medical Center, West Jefferson Medical Center, and Children’s Hospital of New Orleans – and caseloads include approximately 1,600 major neurosurgical procedures per year. The Neurosurgery residency training program has benefited from its close association with the LSU Neuroscience Center of Excellence, under the leadership of Nicolas G. Bazan, MD, PhD. This relationship has allowed us to provide our residents with a full year of Neuroscience research under Dr. Bazan’s supervision and direction. Significant research efforts by residents today require full-time mentorship by eminently experienced and successful researchers. This association helps meet those goals and provides indispensable knowledge that can significantly improve patient care.

All of these efforts to improve our programs are a result of our dedication to preparing the next generation of Neurosurgeons to carry on the fine tradition of excellence we strive to maintain.

This website seeks to provide visitors, including faculty, staff, residents, and students, with departmental information. I hope you will visit the Department of Neurosurgery site often and take advantage of its valuable content. The Department of Neurosurgery at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans builds upon a proud and distinguished tradition to provide the highest quality resident training and patient care.

Sincerely,

Frank Culicchia, MD
Professor and Department Chair