About Medical College of Wisconsin Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery Historical Perspectives
1893: The College was founded as the Wisconsin College of Physicians and Surgeons.
1913: The Wisconsin College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Milwaukee Medical College merged to form Marquette University School of Medicine.
1963: Neurosurgery became a Division of Surgery with full-time faculty; Dr. Sanford Larson was recruited as the first Chair of Neurosurgery.
1964: The department’s Neuroscience Research Laboratories founded by Drs. Sanford Larson and Anthony Sances, Jr., at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center as a joint program with the Department of Biomedical Engineering of Marquette University.
1971: First neurosurgery resident completed the training program.
1987: Dr. Sanford Larson initiated the first Spine Fellowship Program in the country.
1988: Neurosurgery became a Department of the Medical College of Wisconsin.
1991: Dr. Frank A Pintar appointed Director of the Neuroscience Research Laboratories.
1998: The Department establishes the Vehicle Crash Lab as the only car crash facility in an academic institution in the world.
1999: Dr. Larson retired; Dr. Thomas Gennarelli was appointed as Chair of Neurosurgery. Pediatric Division created; Dr. Bruce Kaufman was appointed Chief.
2003: Neuroscience Research Laboratories at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center established with Dr. Frank Pintar as Director.
2008: Translational Brain Tumor Research Program formed. Research Division created, Dr. Frank Pintar is appointed Chief. The Department invests $3 million to build the Neurosurgery Research Facility.
2009: Neurosurgery Research Facility opened, a state-of-the-art laboratory for neuroscience and biomechanics research. Dr. Thomas Gennarelli retired as Chair; Dr. Dennis Maiman was appointed as Chair of Neurosurgery.
2016: Dr. Shekar Kurpad appointed Interim Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery. Dr. Sean Lew appointed Chief of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery.
2017: Dr. Shekar Kurpad appointed Sanford J. Larson Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery.
Surgical Procedures
3,500+
700+
200+
Resident & Fellow Placement
The Department of Neurosurgery has placed a significant number of residents and fellows in academic positions.
46%
60%
Operative and Clinical Practices
- Our neurosurgeons staff the only two Level One Trauma Centers in southeastern Wisconsin
- NAEC Level 4 pediatric epilepsy surgery program
- Stereotactic laser ablation (Visualase)
- Combined Interventional and open operative suite
- Intraoperative O-arm (2)
- Intraoperative MRI (2017)
- 6 neurosurgical operative microscopes and 7 stealth stations
- Stereotactic radiosurgery
- 40 new pediatric brain tumors/year
- Stereoencephalography
- Magnetoencephalography
- Fetal myelomeningocele closure
- International leaders in spine surgery and spine biomechanics, brain injury, and neurotrauma
Contact Us
The Medical College of Wisconsin is located on the western edge of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Care for neurosurgery patients is provided at Froedtert Hospital, Children’s Wisconsin, and the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center.
Medical College of Wisconsin
Hub for Collaborative Medicine
8701 Watertown Plank Rd.
Milwaukee, WI 53226
Scheduling
(414) 955-7188
Administration
(414) 955-0950
