Peripheral Nerve Fellowship

Department of Neurosurgery
LSUHSC - New Orleans

Over the years, we have trained 75 fellows from all over the world in Peripheral Nerve Surgery, the only CASS approved fellowship in North America. The fellows attend our multi-disciplinary clinic on Mondays and operate with us during the week, usually at Oschner Medical Center but also at Touro Infirmary. They follow a curriculum we've devised, which consists of participation in the combined Neurosurgery-Neurology Electromyographic Nerve Clinic, nerve operations and our regular Neurosurgery Educational Conferences. In addition, a study program covering Anatomy, Physiology, Chemistry and Pathology as it relates to the nerve has been developed. Laboratory opportunities are available with several investigators in Molecular Biology and Neurophysiology that relate to the LSUHSC Nerve Program. Opportunities for clinical outcome studies are also readily available.

The two neurosurgical faculty connected with the program, Dr. David Kline and Dr. Robert Tiel, have been involved with Nerve and Nerve problems and their surgical correction for many years. The head of Neurology, Dr. Austin Sumner has trained at Queen Square with Robert Gilliat. He ran EMG labs for years at UCSF, as well as at the University of Pennsylvania and in more recent years, at LSUHSC. He has a special interest in neuromuscular disorders as well as electromyography.

Boyd Professor Dr. David Kline commands worldwide respect as a preeminent neurosurgeon. His work on regeneration of nerve and the neurophysiology of regeneration has perfected a method called Nerve Action Potential (NAP) recording that electrically tests nerve lesions during surgery. The NAP is a good indicator of partial function or useful recovery following nerve trauma. It also provides information that predicts the regenerative potential of a damaged nerve long before that potential is clinically evident. This information is critical in the optimal management of nerve injuries, many entrapments and even nerve tumors.

Dr. Robert Tiel is a graduate of Stanford and the University of Minnesota Medical School. He trained at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and worked there for eight years before joining the faculty at LSUHSC six years ago. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery. His various research interests can be seen on this department site’s Research page. For more information or to apply for participation in this program, please contact:

Dr. David G. Kline
Boyd Professor
LSU Health Sciences Center
School of Medicine
Department of Neurosurgery
2020 Gravier St.
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 568-6120
Fax: (504) 568-6127