Miller School Neurological Surgeons Reflect on AANS Conference
Miller School faculty, residents and alumni presented research and patient care strategies at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons annual meeting.
Faculty physicians within the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s Department of Neurological Surgery joined the brightest minds in the field to share ideas and form connections at the annual American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) conference. The 12,000 AANS members advance neurosurgery through education, research and advocacy.
We caught up with three Miller School faculty who presented at the four-day meeting.
Allan Levi, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery
The AANS meeting was heavily attended by the Miller School’s faculty, residents and alumni. Why is it important for the Miller School to be represented at meetings such as this?
There are only 119 programs in the entire U.S. and we are considered one of the top-ranked programs in all aspects: clinical care, research and education. The conference is a great way to showcase our faculty and residents and the types of research done here. I participated in a peripheral nerve symposium and discussed the role of basic science in the development of peripheral nerve surgery and how you can incorporate a basic science lab in your career aspirations.
One of the highlights of the entire meeting was the alumni reception. What was special about this year’s gathering?
We had the largest and most spirited alumni gathering to date, with over 80 proud alums coming together. It was a powerful testament to the enduring bonds and shared pride that define the University of Miami’s neurosurgery program. The evening was filled with vibrant energy as we shared exciting updates on our work in surgery and research, celebrated milestones and reconnected over stories old and new.
What truly made this year special was the palpable sense of community, where camaraderie flowed naturally, professional networks deepened and ideas were sparked across generations. It wasn’t just a reception. It was a homecoming of family that continues to grow stronger year after year.
Michael Ivan, M.D., Professor of Neurological Surgery
How do meetings like this one influence patient care moving forward?
The best part is the congregation of people all thinking about the same problems. We present challenging cases and talk about three or four different ways we could’ve treated that problem. To hear different perspectives about how different people would approach a particular problem and what their outcomes have been with those approaches is really interesting.
Patients want to know the best solution, and right now there are a lot of things in neurosurgery where there is more than one best solution. There may be three or four very good options. It is through these meetings that we can dissect these little details, and that is super helpful to my practice and pushing the field forward.
Miller School faculty made several contributions to the meeting. Can you tell me about one of your talks?
We are using a novel technique in patients with brain tumors, looking at connections in the brain. We are learning that it is not just one spot in the brain and, if that is injured, it changes you. It affects an entire network throughout the brain. If that’s impacted, it can impact cognitive outcomes after surgery.
We are finding everyone’s brain is different. For the first time, we can understand why a tumor in the same location has different effects. We can see how someone has different connections in the brain preoperatively and how it correlated to the outcome postoperatively.
For the first time, we shared new data that we are able to quantitate changes we’ve seen and correlate them to neurocognitive changes. This helps us plan surgeries better to understand the risk to the patient and how to avoid potential cognitive changes, post-operatively.
Michael Wang, M.D., Professor of Neurological Surgery
What was your most important takeaway from the meeting?
It was an opportunity for UM neurosurgery alumni to gather and celebrate the amazing accomplishments of all our graduates. In particular, celebrating (former Miller School neurosurgeon) Jacques Morcos and his becoming president of the AANS was a highlight of the meeting. We are so proud of all the faculty, house staff and medical students who contributed to the scientific content in the numerous fields, including neuro-oncology, spine surgery, the treatment of neurovascular diseases and peripheral nerve surgery.
Tags: American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Department of Neurological Surgery, Dr. Allan Levi, Dr. Michael Ivan, Dr. Michael Wang, neurosurgery