UVA Department of Neurosurgery

Excellence and Expertise

The University of Virginia Health System's Department of Neurosurgery combines innovative technology, world-renowned physicians and a team-based approach to diagnosis and treatment of disorders affecting the nervous system. Our department and the many across UVA that we collaborate with are consistently ranked among the nation's top centers by both Solucient and U.S. News & World Report. The department consists of many subspecialty Centers of Excellence, covering the full range of neurological disorders.
Visit our Centers of Excellence

Referrals and Collaboration

Our doctor teams will review every case presented to us. Our experienced and dedicated nursing and administrative staff is always available to provide around-the-clock care, support and information for patients, families and referring clinicians. We welcome referrals from all geographic areas - one phone call is all it takes.

Contact Information

Click here for our physician profiles and contact information.

If you are unsure of who to contact, please call our general number (434) 924-2203 (Charlottesville) or 1-800-362-2203 (Toll free for outside Central Virginia) and our staff will help you.

News

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Justin Smith has joined our full-time faculty. Dr. Smith completed fellowship training with leaders in the field of minimally invasive spine surgery. He will be expanding our minimally invasive spine program, where we can help patients with certain spine conditions experience quicker hospital stays and recovery times, with less pain and less visible scars.

Renowned Dr. Edward Oldfield has joined our full-time faculty, and will help strengthen our Neuroendocrine program as a national and international center for the treatment of patients with pituitary disorders. Dr. Oldfield comes from the NIH, bringing exciting research around Cushing's disease, other types of pituitary tumors, and vascular conditions. He will team with Dr. John Jane Jr. to continue to develop advanced techniques for treatment of pituitary tumors here at UVA.

Our neurosurgeons Jeff Elias, John Jane Sr., John Jane Jr., Neal Kassell, Chris Shaffrey and Mark Shaffrey were named to Best Doctors in America by Best Doctors, Inc.  They were chosen through a comprehensive peer-review survey that asks: "If you or a loved one needed a doctor in your specialty, to whom would you refer them?" The database represents the top 3 percent of physicians in more than 400 medical subspecialties.

We have opened one of the first Gamma Knife Perfexion units in the country. Perfexion's advantages include unparalleled accuracy and improved comfort and shorter treatment times for patients. Our Gamma Knife Center directors Drs. Ladislau Steiner and Jason Sheehan are very enthusiastic about this new technology and recently treated UVA's 6,000th Gamma Knife patient.

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education honored Dr. John Jane Sr. as one of the recipients of the 2008 Parker J. Palmer "Courage to Teach" Award. The award is given annually to distinguished program directors, nominated by faculty and residents, in recognition of their commitment to teaching and development of innovative and effective residency programs.

Centers of Excellence

Gamma Knife

Neuro-Oncology

Pediatric Neurosurgery

Pituitary

Spine

Stroke & Cerebrovascular

Epilepsy Neurosurgery

Functional Neurosurgery

Minimally Invasive Spinal Treatment

Neuro Trauma

Neuropsychology

Peripheral Nerve Surgery

Dr. Aaron Dumont has joined our full-time faculty as the first neurosurgeon in Virginia to complete a dual fellowship in cerebrovascular microsurgery and neuroendovascular surgery. He is helping to establish a world-class multi-disciplinary program in neuro-endovascular surgery using advanced minimally invasive techniques for the treatment of cerebral aneurysms, vascular malformations, and more. He recently performed UVA's first bypass for a posterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysm.