Medical College of Wisconsin Brain & Spine Tumor Program

The physicians of the Brain and Spine Tumor Program specialize in caring for people with rare neurological cancers. They work together to craft the best treatment plan for every patient. Our full team of skilled and compassionate physicians and other caregivers makes sure patients get all the treatment and support services they need.

Program Details

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Overview

The physicians of the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Brain and Spine Tumor Program specialize in treating tumors in complex areas of the brain, spine and spinal cord. We offer patients the best chance of fighting disease while preserving physical and cognitive abilities.

Innovative Software for Planning Safer Brain Surgery

Researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin – including two members of the Brain and Spine Tumor Program – have developed a new software system that helps physicians plan safer tumor surgeries. The system is known as Prism, and Froedtert & MCW patients were the first in the world to benefit from this new imaging tool.

Brain surgery can lead to complications such as paralysis or impeded speech. To reduce the risk of these complications, physicians use a variety of diagnostic imaging technologies to map critical brain structures before surgery. The Prism system enhances the surgical planning process by merging separate diagnostic images into a single unified view. By integrating the various imaging sources, Prism helps surgeons understand complex spatial relationships and more easily identify brain structures that need to be avoided. That helps them create surgical plans with the best chance of preserving brain function and patient ability.

Most Spinal Cord Tumor Operations in State

Tumors of the spinal cord are very rare, so it is important for patients with a spinal cord tumor to receive care from physicians who are experienced in treating these malignancies. Shekar Kurpad, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin neurosurgeon, has extensive experience using microsurgical techniques and neurophysiological monitoring to operate on tumors that abut the spinal cord or are growing within the cord tissue itself.

Additional Information

Froedtert Hospital links:

Neurosurgery Brain Tumor Faculty

Rupen Desai, MD

Assistant Professor

Max O. Krucoff, MD, FAANS, FACS

Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery; Co-Director of Neurosurgical Oncology; Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Wade M. Mueller, MD

Professor

Peter A. Pahapill, MD, PhD, FACS, FRCSC

Professor; Director, Functional Neurosurgery

Nathan Zwagerman, MD

Associate Professor; Director, Pituitary and Skull Base Surgery; Director, Residency Program

Neurosurgery Spine Tumor Faculty

Shekar N. Kurpad, MD, PhD

Professor; Senior Associate Dean, Neuroscience; Founding Director, Wisconsin Institute of NeuroScience (WINS)

Dan Heffez, MD, FRCS

Professor

Max C. Lee, MD

Assistant Professor

Saman Shabani, MD

Assistant Professor; Director, Spinal Oncology Surgery; Director, Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery; Director, Spine Fellowship Program

Karin Swartz, MD, FAAN

Professor

Aditya Vedantam, MD

Associate Professor; Director, Minimally Invasive Surgery; Director, Center for Cervical Myelopathy; Adjunct Faculty in Biomedical Engineering, Radiology, and Orthopedics

Medical College of Wisconsin Brain & Spine Tumor Program

Program Details

Neurosurgery Brain Tumor Faculty

Rupen Desai, MD

Assistant Professor

Max O. Krucoff, MD, FAANS, FACS

Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery; Co-Director of Neurosurgical Oncology; Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Wade M. Mueller, MD

Professor

Peter A. Pahapill, MD, PhD, FACS, FRCSC

Professor; Director, Functional Neurosurgery

Nathan Zwagerman, MD

Associate Professor; Director, Pituitary and Skull Base Surgery; Director, Residency Program

Neurosurgery Spine Tumor Faculty

Shekar N. Kurpad, MD, PhD

Professor; Senior Associate Dean, Neuroscience; Founding Director, Wisconsin Institute of NeuroScience (WINS)

Dan Heffez, MD, FRCS

Professor

Max C. Lee, MD

Assistant Professor

Saman Shabani, MD

Assistant Professor; Director, Spinal Oncology Surgery; Director, Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery; Director, Spine Fellowship Program

Karin Swartz, MD, FAAN

Professor

Aditya Vedantam, MD

Associate Professor; Director, Minimally Invasive Surgery; Director, Center for Cervical Myelopathy; Adjunct Faculty in Biomedical Engineering, Radiology, and Orthopedics

Marjorie Wang, MD, MPH

Professor; Vice Chair, Clinical Operations; Chief, Community Division of Neurosurgery

Christopher E. Wolfla, MD

Professor