The division of neurosurgical anesthesiology is an extremely active division performing over 2100 anesthetics annually. There are currently eight anesthesiology attendings associated with this division, headed by Dr. Eric J. Heyer. Members of this division provide anesthesia in the operating room, neuroradiology suite, and psychiatric area for patients having electroconvulsive therapy.
Patients requiring surgery have almost every type of neurosurgical procedure available.
About half have craniotomies performed under general anesthesia and others, under conscious sedation. Craniotomies are performed for patients with intracerebral tumors, vascular lesions, and functional neurological problems such as epilepsy and movement disorders involving basal ganglia disease. The epilepsy center at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center refers many patients for surgery. Because of this, we provide anesthesia for many patients with epilepsy. The Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center has a long tradition as a center of excellence in the management of patients with vascular lesions.