The Department of Neurosurgery at Massachusetts General Hospital provides a complete range of surgical services for the diagnosis, surgical treatment and rehabilitation of neurologic disorders of the brain and spine.
Robert L. Martuza, MD
Chief, Department of Neurosurgery
History of Neurosurgery
Unique Scale and Experience
Massachusetts General Hospital’s Department of Neurosurgery is one of the hospital's largest departments and one of the nation’s leading neurosurgery centers, treating 70 to 90 patients a day and performing more than 2,500 neurosurgical procedures each year. This unique scale means that when patients bring a neurosurgical problem to Mass General—even a relatively rare one—our doctors have the experience and expertise needed to provide the best possible treatment.
Our multidisciplinary team includes 32 neurosurgeons, 15 of whom are residents-in-training, and 2 interventional neuroradiologists. We have 4 dedicated operating rooms and a 17-bed, continuously staffed Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit.
Specialized Expertise
Our staff specializes in all phases of neurological surgery for comprehensive management of brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerve diseases and disorders.
The service is divided by subspecialties, each staffed by surgeons and clinicians with intensive expertise and focus in an area of specialization. These areas include:
- Brain tumors
- Neurovascular diseases
- Pituitary tumors / Neuroendocrine disorders
- Cranial base diseases
- Spine disorders
- Peripheral Nerve Center
- Pediatric Neurosurgery Center
- Functional neurosurgery
- Neurotrauma and Neurointensive care
U.S. News & World Report ranked Mass General among the top three hospitals in the nation for neurology and neurosurgery in 2010-2011.
Collaborating Toward Better Care
Our surgeons work closely with other specialists across the spectrum of care—nursing, hematology, radiology, neuro-oncology, neurology, physical therapists and others—to come to an accurate diagnosis and determine the best course of treatment.
In addition to traditional, “open” surgical techniques, patients also may be treated with more advanced, less invasive procedures, such as:
- Catheter-based surgery
- Radiation-based surgery (gamma knife, proton beam)
- Heat/radiofrequency surgery
- Computer-guided surgery
- Endoscopies
Our surgeons work with a highly-trained support staff and use state-of-the-art technology and methods. The goal is to make sure every patient has access to the most advanced treatments needed and gets the comprehensive care they need.
