Neurosurgery Tales

About Neurosurgery Tales

Deep conversations with neurosurgeons around the world. Each episode features world-renowned experts sharing groundbreaking insights, personal journeys, and the latest advancements in brain and spine care. Stay ahead in the field with cutting-edge minimally invasive techniques, neurosurgical innovations, and the human side of medicine. Discover the stories shaping the future of neurosurgery—one conversation at a time.

Publisher

Aureliana Toma

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

3 Apr 2024

Latest episode

20 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

31 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 Oct 2026

   Episode 27 - Jaime Martínez Santos

   Dr. Martínez Santos grew up in the Dominican Republic and became the first Dominican international medical graduate to match into neurosurgery in the United States. He completed his residency at the Medical University of South Carolina and his fellowship in complex cranial and cerebrovascular surgery at the University of Wisconsin under Dr. Mustafa Başkaya, and is now assistant professor of neurosurgery at MUSC in Charleston. He performs aneurysm clipping, cerebral bypass, AVM surgery, and skull base tumor surgery, and runs a microsurgical anatomy lab for students and residents.In this episode of Neurosurgery Tales, we talk about:• The IMG pathway to US neurosurgery: J-1 and O-1 visas, the Canadian route he almost took, and the prejudice international doctors still face• Why he calls himself an anatomist before a surgeon, and why neurosurgery leans too hard on technology• Open vs. endovascular aneurysm treatment, flow diverters, AVM cure rates, and what “minimally invasive” really means• Whether the open cerebrovascular surgeon is a specialist, a relic, or a last resort• Training under Dr. Başkaya, his “tormentor”• Microsurgical simulation, and why surgeons should operate with caution, not fear• Teaching and leadership in residency: Extreme Ownership and decentralized command• Why RVUs and hospital incentives push trainees away from complex surgery• Why “shortcut” and “neurosurgery” don’t belong in the same sentence“I prefer the term maximally safe and minimally disruptive surgery.” SOCIAL: 🔗 TikTok: @neurosurgery.tale 🔗 Instagram: / neurosurgery_tales 🔗 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/neurosurgerytales Books mentioned • Extreme Ownership and The Dichotomy of Leadership, by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin • Better, by Atul Gawande • Mastery, by Robert Greene

2. 

   7 Jan 2026

   Episode 26 - Adnan H. Siddiqui

   dnan H. Siddiqui is a dual-trained cerebrovascular and endovascular neurosurgeon, clinician-scientist, and technology leader working at the intersection of surgery, stroke care, and innovation. He is Professor and Vice Chair of Neurosurgery at the University at Buffalo, leads one of the busiest comprehensive stroke services in the United States, and directs large NIH-funded research programs focused on aneurysms, stroke, imaging, and hemodynamics. He has led major international clinical trials, and plays a central role in shaping training standards, device development, and evidence-based practice in neuroendovascular surgery through national and regulatory bodies. He is also CEO of the Jacobs Institute, where he works to translate surgical ideas into real-world technologies that reach patients.This conversation goes beyond technique. It examines judgment, training, failure, and the systems that produce true surgical excellence.In this episode, we discuss:00:45 – Why Dr. Adnan Siddiqui Chose Neurosurgery02:00 – Personal Loss and the “Dark Ages” of Neurosurgery03:15 – What Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery Overestimates Today04:40 – How to Stay Curious Without Losing Focus05:55 – When Robotic Microsurgery Became Inevitable06:50 – First Experiences With Surgical Robotics (Da Vinci & Beyond)08:45 – What Robots Do Better Than Human Hands in Microsurgery09:50 – Patient Selection for Robotic Intracranial Surgery10:45 – Why Adult Moyamoya Was the Right First Robotic Case12:05 – Indirect vs Direct Bypass in Adult Moyamoya Disease13:00 – Training Surgical Judgment When Technology Removes Friction14:20 – Why Some Neurosurgery Programs Create Leaders, Not Technicians15:35 – How the Jacobs Institute Built Real Interdisciplinary Innovation17:50 – Designing Surgical Environments That Improve Collaboration18:30 – Does Innovation Create a Two-Tier System in Medicine?20:15 – Why Perfection Still Matters in Neurosurgery21:00 – Early Career Mistakes and Learning Through Failure

3. 

   22 Oct 2025

   Episode 25 - Subhashree Hari

   Fourth-year neurosurgery resident Dr. Subhashree Hari (P.D. Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai) joins Neurosurgery Tales to talk about what residency really looks like inside one of India’s busiest centers: high-volume clinics, learning under national leaders, the first mistake you never forget, and why communication can matter as much as the knife. Subtle cultural contrasts emerge naturally as we discuss training realities, resources, and mindset. In this episode The long path into Indian neurosurgery residency Mentorship under top surgeons: inspiration vs. expectation 80–100 patient clinics: speed, stamina, and what actually sticks The hardest non-surgical skill: clear, right-sized communication The “first mistake” and how to prioritize under pressure Case presentations and turning data into a story that lands What her program does well, and how residents fill the gaps Build up or break down first? A realistic view of resilience Failure, “mediocrity,” and keeping the patient first The 10-year vision: subspecialty, family, access, and teaching Guest Dr. Subhashree Hari • 4th-Year Neurosurgery Resident P.D. Hinduja National Hospital & MRC, Mumbai, India Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:00 When residency first felt real 04:20 Training under India’s leading neurosurgeons 06:00 High-volume clinics: sharper or just tired? 08:00 The hardest non-surgical skill: communication 14:15 The first mistake you never forget 20:25 How to turn medical data into a compelling narrative 24:45 What Indian programs do well (and where residents self-correct) 29:30 Build up vs. break down 33:45 Failure, mediocrity, and keeping outcomes first 39:30 A 10-year vision: subspecialty, family, access, teaching 45:15 Closing About the show Neurosurgery Tales shares modern, honest conversations with neurosurgeons and residents worldwide. Contact / Collabs Press, academic, and sponsorship: atoma@neurosurgerytales.com

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

28,130

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 39 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

17

Social presence

94

YouTube

76

Engagement

32