As the only tertiary care medical center in Vermont, the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine’s Division of Neurosurgery provides comprehensive surgical management of disorders of the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nervous system. Since the division's establishment in 1948, we have been committed to translating leading-edge research into improved patient care.

Residents

Medical students and neurosurgery residents participate in a variety of research activities and provide care and an array of treatment options for patients who have brain and spinal disease. By facilitating critical thinking, we advance the knowledge needed to treat neurologic disorders and enhance the quality of clinical care.


 

Academic and Clinical Excellence

Surgery

As physicians and scientists, the Division of Neurosurgery faculty brings intellectual curiosity, scientific rigor, and fundamental concern to our patients, our trainees, our colleagues, and the communities we serve in northern New England. 

We advance knowledge and innovation, and enhance efficiency through clinical, translational, and biomedical research studies designed to improve the care of patients with neurologic disease. We are dedicated to patient-and family-centric treatment of individuals with neurologic disease, and to developing the next generation of neurosurgical physicians. The UVM Neurosurgery Residency Program if fully accredited by ACGME and committed to training future leaders in the field to be outstanding clinicians, active investigators and experienced educators.


Surgery News

Graves Interviewed by WCAX about New Robotic Surgery System

February 29, 2024 by Lucy Gardner Carson

(February 29, 2024) Orthopedic surgeon Sara Graves, M.D., M.S., clinical assistant professor of surgery, spoke with WCAX-TV about a new robotic surgery system at the Central Vermont Medical Center.

Orthopedic surgeon Sara Graves, M.D., M.S., clinical assistant professor of surgery

(February 29, 2024) Orthopedic surgeon Sara Graves, M.D., M.S., clinical assistant professor of surgery, spoke with WCAX-TV about a new robotic surgery system at the Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC) in Berlin.

The Mako SmartRobotics system is expected to streamline minimally invasive surgeries, giving surgeons a more precise plan before they even make a cut. The arm of the robot is guided by the surgeon, increasing accuracy and precision and resulting in less pain post-procedure and quicker recovery times.

“We can end up with very precise cuts tailored to the patient’s anatomy,” Graves said. A CAT scan will be performed prior to surgery that allows for more comprehensive pre-planning, setting parameters for where the machine can and cannot make a cut. “There’s only so much you can see during the surgery of what the patient’s anatomy is, especially when we get into the 3D models. So, it will allow me to make sure I am fully executing the plan that we have given it,” Graves said.

CVMC, which is affiliated with the UVM Health Network, is the third hospital to add this technology to its operating rooms. Brattleboro Memorial Hospital was the first in 2018, and as of 2024, the UVM Medical Center has two.

Read full story at WCAX-TV