Training in Open vs Endovascular Techniques

Dr. Jabbour starts the episode by recounting his time in residency and how his mentor inspired him to pursue a vascular neurosurgery fellowship. It is becoming increasingly common for neurosurgery residency programs to require their trainees to complete a rotation in vascular neurosurgery. He also speaks more about the residency program at Jefferson and different community hospitals that Jefferson is affiliated with. Having affiliates across a wide geographic area helps his department better serve the community by saving time and reducing the need to transfer patients.

Next, Dr. Jabbour describes his own practice, which incorporates both endovascular and open procedures. He emphasizes that there is little benefit from debating superiority between the two methods, since neurosurgeons should focus on the disease process and select the method that best serves each patient. Training in both methods is a necessity.

Finally, we cover the topic of collaboration between neurosurgeons, interventional neuroradiologists, neuroradiologists, and neurologists. Each specialty brings something different to the table, whether it is procedural skill, knowledge of anatomy, or expertise in disease processes. Dr. Jabbour encourages physicians to look past turf wars and recognize the importance of cross training and building a strong overall vascular team.