November 12 , 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Tom Rosenberger, APR, Communications Department (513) 569-5260
CONTACT: Cindy Starr, MSJ, Communications Department (513) 584-2214

The first cerebrovascular surgery fellowship ever accredited by the Society of Neurological Surgeons is being celebrated by the Mayfield Clinic & Spine Institute and the University of Cincinnati Department of Neurosurgery. The accreditation gives heightened standing to UC's and Mayfield's shared reputation for excellence in cerebrovascular surgery, a subspecialty of neurosurgery.

"What we're trying to accomplish with the cerebrovascular surgery fellowship is achievement of surgical and academic excellence," said Dr. Mario Zuccarello, Director of the Division of Cerebrovascular Surgery at the UC Department of Neurosurgery and a neurosurgeon with the Mayfield Clinic. "This fellowship is special to us because it recognizes our tradition of commitment to cerebrovascular surgery."

That tradition was started in 1984 by Dr. John M. Tew, neurosurgeon with Mayfield, Medical Director of The Neuroscience Institute and former chairman of UC's Department of Neurosurgery.

Dr. Zuccarello said the accredited fellowship also would raise the standard for neurosurgical performance at The University Hospital and would help bring the nation's best fellowship candidates to UC, The Neuroscience Institute and Mayfield. Nationwide, competition for these elite surgeons is keen.

The Society of Neurological Surgeons' Committee on Accreditation of Subspecialty Training began an accreditation process in response to concern about proliferation of post-residency fellowships in an unregulated environment. The committee accredited its first four fellowships, including UC's, in the spring of 2002.

UC's two-year cerebrovascular surgery fellowship is awarded to an outstanding young neurosurgeon who seeks subspecialty training following a residency in neurosurgery. UC's current cerebrovascular surgery fellow is Dr. Norberto Andaluz, 33, of Rosario, Argentina.

As a fellow, Dr. Andaluz works closely with Dr. Zuccarello in treating patients stricken with life-threatening neurological disruptions, including aneurysms, intracerebral hemorrhages and arteriovenous malformations.

UC's neurosurgeons treat a high volume of these difficult cases at The University Hospital. During the last year they treated more than 200 patients with aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations and more than 100 with intracerebral hemorrhages. "Not all of the patients go into surgery or undergo intravascular coiling, but all require continued attention and care," Dr. Zuccarello noted. Patients suffering from vascular malformations are also treated with radiosurgery - a technology that allows for the precise delivery of radiation to a problem area -- at The University Hospital and University Pointe.

Dr. Zuccarello and Dr. Andaluz also collaborate continuously with the nationally acclaimed Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke Team, which is lead by Dr. Joseph Broderick, Chairman of the UC Department of Neurology.

The Mayfield Clinic is recognized as one of the country's leading physician organizations for clinical care, education and research of the spine and brain. With 14 neurosurgeons and a neuro-oncologist, Mayfield treats over 20,000 patients from around the world every year. Mayfield's physicians have pioneered surgical procedures and instrumentation that have revolutionized the medical art of neurosurgery for brain tumors and neurovascular diseases and pain disorders.

The Mayfield Spine Institute, a subsidiary of the Mayfield Clinic, features the largest and most experienced network of spine specialists in the Midwest. Mayfield's multidisciplinary team includes board-certified neurosurgeons and physicians in physical medicine and rehabilitation, as well as licensed professionals in physical and occupational therapy and chiropractic care.

In 1998, the Mayfield Imaging Center was opened in Crestview Hills, Ky., expanding Mayfield's capabilities to include diagnostic imaging. Mayfield is affiliated with The University of Cincinnati Department of Neurosurgery and The Neuroscience Institute, a neuroscience center of excellence located at The University Hospital in Cincinnati. Mayfield has office locations throughout Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.