Neurointerventional and Vascular Neurosurgery Fellowship

The Neurointerventional and Vascular Neurosurgery Fellowship at Hartford Hospital offers comprehensive neuro-endovascular training, with the unique opportunity for neurosurgically-trained fellows to develop expertise in both open and endovascular neurosurgical techniques at one of New England’s busiest stroke centers.

Program Overview

This CAST-accredited CNS Endovascular Surgery program is committed to providing comprehensive sub-specialty training in the management of all aspects of cerebrovascular disease, for trainees with backgrounds in neurosurgery, neurology or neuroradiology. The primary mission of the program is to develop the next generation of leaders in cerebrovascular care, with a focus on clinical and technical excellence, and cutting-edge research and innovation.

The fellowship is based out of Hartford Hospital – a premier quaternary care referral center for neuroendovascular and neurosurgical services in New England – at which over 1100 endovascular and open cerebrovascular procedures are performed annually. Hartford Hospital has been recognized as a Top Teaching Hospital by The Leapfrog Group, one of only 75 hospitals nationwide to receive this recognition in 2023. Clinical facilities include five dedicated neurosurgical operating rooms, including one hybrid operating room, as well as two biplane neuroangiography suites. All three neuro-endovascular rooms are equipped with Siemens Healthineers Biplane Angiography Systems. Fellows also have access to the Center for Education, Simulation & Innovation (CESI), a nearly 50,000 square foot medical simulation center that is an international destination for training, education and medical device development, and houses a Mentice endovascular simulator and a microvascular anastomosis laboratory.

Curriculum

The fellowship consists of both didactic and clinical training at Hartford Hospital – an 867-bed, quaternary care academic medical center, Comprehensive Stroke Center and Level 1 Trauma Center, with established neurosurgery, neurology and radiology residency programs. The Hartford Hospital Stroke Center was inaugurated in 2001, and was New England’s first Comprehensive Stroke Center in 2013. It remains one of the largest stroke centers in the Northeast, treating over 1000 stroke patients per year.  The Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, located on the same campus, provides fellows with additional pediatric cerebrovascular and neuro-endovascular experience.

Fellows will receive a graduated neuro-endovascular experience over the course of the two-year fellowship. The focus of the junior year is on developing the skills of neuro-angiography, including mastery of intracranial and extracranial vascular anatomy, fluoroscopy, and diagnostic catheter-based technical skills. There is also a strong emphasis on peri-operative care of cerebrovascular patients, and critical care of acute cerebrovascular pathology, including acute spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage, symptomatic cerebral and spinal vascular malformations, chronic subdural hematoma and spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage. There is also ample opportunity for junior fellows to participate in, and perform, more advanced neuro-endovascular procedures/interventions. Over the past several years, junior fellows have logged 600-700 neuro-endovascular procedures, of which 100-150 are intervention cases, and the remaining are diagnostic procedures.

This extensive experience in the junior year forms the foundation for the senior fellowship year, which is focused on mastering techniques necessary for performing complex neuro-interventions, while continuing to refine the diagnostic and clinical skills developed during the junior year. The senior fellow plays an integral role in the training of the junior fellow, and in turn, both the junior and the senior fellows play a key role in the training of neurosurgery and neurology residents and advanced practice providers of all levels.

Applicants with a background in neurosurgery will participate in all open cerebrovascular procedures throughout the course of the fellowship, and will also have the opportunity to participate in non-vascular neurosurgery cases, when time permits.

Note:  This fellowship is designed as a two-year comprehensive experience, but for select applicants, one-year fellowship opportunities will be considered.

Core Faculty & Leadership

Core faculty include three fellowship-trained Cerebrovascular Neurosurgeons (including one dual-trained Endovascular Neurosurgeon), two Interventional Neuroradiologists (both dual-trained and boarded in Neurology and Radiology), and an Interventional Vascular Neurologist.

Co-Directors

Sussman, Eric, MD

Mehta, Tapan Vijaykumar, MD

Faculty

Sussman, Eric, MD	Mehta, Tapan Vijaykumar, MD	Ollenschleger, Martin Daniel, MD
Bruno, Charles Anthony, DO	Killory, Brendan Dyer, MD, FAANS	Kureshi, Inam Urrehman, MD

How to Apply

Eligibility

The fellowship is available to applicants with background training in neurosurgery, neurology (stroke or neurocritical care) or neuroradiology.

Application Instructions

Interested applicants should send their CV with a cover letter and 2 letters of recommendation to:

Contacts

Thank you for your interest in our program. For more information, please feel free to contact us below