University Hospital Heidelberg
Heidelberg, Germany 
Head of the Department
Prof. Dr. Andreas Unterberg
Department of Neurosurgery
Department of Neurosurgery at University Hospital Heidelberg provides surgical care for patients with neurological and neuromuscular diseases. The department consists of general wards as well as five operating rooms where nearly 12,000 patients are treated and over 3,400 operations are carried out every year, respectively. As a part of the Neuro Center and one of the pioneering centers in Europe, all units of the department are equipped with cutting-edge diagnostics and therapeutics.
Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Med. Andreas Unterberg, the staff makes exceptional results regarding brain tumor surgery, vascular surgery, and pediatric neurosurgery. The research unit of the department works in cooperation with the National Center for Tumor Diseases and the German Cancer Research Center.
The Department of Neurosurgery at University Hospital Heidelberg is specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of:
- Glioma
- Adenoma
- Acoustic neuroma
- Meningioma
- Spinal neuroma
- Spinal astrocytoma
- Spinal ependymoma
- Dystonia
- Parkinson’s disease
- Tremors
- Herniated discs
- Spinal stenosis
- Meningocele
- Cerebral palsy
- Hydrocephalus
- Spina bifida
- Medulloblastoma
- Craniopharyngioma
- Teratoma
Education
- 10.1974 - 03.1977 School of Medicine, Justus Liebig University Gießen, Germany.
- 04.1977 - 05.1981 School of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, Germany.
- 18.05.1981 Final examination, Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, and approbation, Munich, Germany.
- 07.1991 Board certification in Neurosurgery, Berlin, Germany.
- 06.1997 Board certification in Neurosurgical Intensive Care.
Academic Degrees
- 10.1982 Doctoral thesis: "The kallikrein-kinin-system as mediator of brain edema" (summa cum laude), Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.
- 02.1988 Ph.D. thesis: "Alterations of blood-brain-barrier function and cerebrovascular tone by mediators of the secondary brain damage", Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany.
- 12.1991 Professor of Neurosurgery, Free University of Berlin, Germany.
- 04.2003 Chairman and Professor of the Department of Neurosurgery, University of Heidelberg, Germany.
Postdoctoral Training
- 07.1981 - 04.1982 Research Fellow, German Research Foundation (DFG), Institute for Surgical Research, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany.
- 05.1982 - 10.1985 Research Fellow, Institute for Surgical Research, Hospital Grosshadern, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany (Director: Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h.c. W. Brendel).
- 11.1985 - 12.1986 Research Fellow, German Research Foundation (Un 56/1-1), Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, USA (Directors: Prof. Young, Prof. Marmarou).
- 01.1987 - 05.1990 Resident, Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital Grosshadern, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany (Director: Prof. Dr. F. Marguth).
Academic Appointments
- 05.1990 - 12.1991 Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Rudolf Virchow, Free University of Berlin, Germany (Director: Prof. Dr. W. R. Lanksch).
- 12.1991 - 03.2003 Professor of Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Rudolf Virchow, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany.
- 10.1995 - 03.2003 Vice Head, Department of Neurosurgery, Charité.
- Since 04.2003 and up to now, Head of the Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany.
Research Interests
- Secondary brain damage following trauma and ischemia.
- Therapeutic studies of brain edema.
- Cerebral blood flow, metabolism, and MR-spectroscopy following experimental head injury.
- Monitoring of intracranial pressure, cerebral perfusion pressure, and cerebral oxygenation following severe head injury.
- Therapeutic studies in severe head injury.
- Microdialysis following subarachnoid hemorrhage and head injury.
- Intraoperative imaging.
Clinical Interests
- Neuro-Oncology.
- Vascular neurosurgery.
- Pituitary surgery.
- Skull base surgery.
- Neurotraumatology.
- Neurosurgical intensive care.
Awards and Honors
- 09.1982 Travel Award of the European Society for Microcirculation.
- 09.1983 E.K. Frey Award of the German Society of Internal Intensive Care.
- 05.1987 Poster Award, American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS).
- 09.1988 Upjohn Award for Neurosurgical Research, European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS).
- 01.1995 Member of the International Expert Group "Guidelines in the Management of Severe Head Injury".
- 07.1995 Investigator Award, International Neurotrauma Society.
Memberships and Activities in Scientific and Professional Societies
- President of the German Society of Neurosurgery.
- Member of the Executive Board, German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive and Emergency Care.
- Elected President of the German Society of Neurological Intensive Care.
- Euroacademia Multidisciplinaria Neurotraumatologica.
- Member of the Executive Committee, European Brain Injury Consortium.
- International Society for Brain Edema.
- International Neurotrauma Society.
Department of Neurosurgery
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