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Department of Neurosurgery

Grow with a team dedicated to clinical excellence, pioneering research, and comprehensive neurosurgical education.

Message from the Chair

Disorders of the brain, nerves and spine can be among the most complex in medicine. That’s why the unique partnerships with several other specialties at MUSC by the Department of Neurosurgery have been vital to delivering optimal care and creating new ways to improve neurologic health.

Within our Department you will find one of the nation’s largest teams of top specialists in Neurosurgery, Neurology, Neuroendovascular Surgery, Radiation Oncology, Neuroradiology, Neuropathology, Psychiatry, Neuro-Nursing and related fields. Our teams are not working in isolation, but rather working together. Using the most advanced technologies and supported by innovative facilities, we pool our expertise to provide a collaborative approach to each patient’s diagnosis, treatment planning and care.

This integrative model has many other benefits, too. By incorporating clinical research and basic science efforts into our everyday matrix, we ensure that the latest protocols and research findings are employed in developing each patient’s options. Our system also serves as a feedback loop to help generate new discoveries and rapidly bring them from bench to bedside.

The department’s commitment to neurologic health takes us far beyond the walls of our medical center. Throughout our state and region, we promote our health goals via clinical outreach, consultation, research networks, public and professional education all of which utilize a variety of technologies ranging from telemedicine to Internet-based informatics.

Working together, we can provide an ever-expanding level of support to our fellow neuroscience professionals and a continuously improving level of care for all patients.

Please take time to explore our website and learn more about our department, our team and all that we do. Please reach out to us if you are a prospective patient, volunteer, donor or if you have any questions. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Alejandro Spiotta, M.D., FAANS, FCNS

Chair & Professor, Neurosurgery
Director, NES Fellowship

Dr. Alejandro M. Spiotta is a Professor of Neurosurgery & Neuroendovascular Surgery, Chair of Neurosurgery, and Director of Neuroendovascular Surgery. Prior roles at MUSC include residency Program Director for 7 years and Program Director of the Neuroendovascular fellowship.  Dr. Spiotta received his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 2005, and his undergraduate degree in molecular biology from the University of Pennsylvania College of Arts and Sciences in 2001. He completed an internship in General Surgery, residency in Neurological Surgery, and fellowship in Neuroendovascular Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic.  He was then recruited to MUSC as a faculty member in 2012.   Dr. Spiotta is board certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery and is a member of numerous professional and scientific societies including the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Society of Neurointerventional Surgery, and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. He reviews manuscript submissions for numerous peer-reviewed journals and is an associate editor for several journals.

Dr. Spiotta's research focus is outcomes research in cerebrovascular disease, device development, implementation of endovascular simulation as training tools among residents and fellows, as well as novel training paradigms for Neurosurgery residents. He is the founder and Principal Investigator of STAR (Stroke Thrombectomy and Aneurysm Registry), the largest neurovascular registry comprising an international research collaboration of almost 100 centers world-wide.  He has authored more than 400 peer reviewed publications and 3 textbooks.

Dr. Spiotta's clinical interests are Vascular Neurosurgery and Neuroendovascular Surgery. He specializes in acute stroke thrombectomy, aneurysm coiling and microsurgical clipping, arteriovenous malformations, and carotid stenosis.

Contact Our Department

Clinical Science Building
MSC 606
96 Jonathan Lucas St, Rm 301
Charleston, SC 29425

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To schedule an appointment, call:
843-792-7700

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