Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital welcomes Faiz Ahmad, MD, director of spinal surgery and neurosurgeon Christopher Deibert, MD, with the expansion of patient care services in the Department of Neurosurgery. The clinic at Emory Saint Joseph's provides patients in north Atlanta with comprehensive treatment and the latest technological advances for complex disorders of the brain, spine and peripheral nerves.
The multidisciplinary team of neurosurgeons, neuro-intensivists, neuroradiologists and other specialized medical staff collaborate during every step of patient care, from diagnosis and treatment to recovery. Additionally, the Department of Neurosurgery provides cancer care for both brain and spine in collaboration with Winship Cancer Institute at Emory Saint Joseph's.
Procedures performed at Emory Saint Joseph's include: artificial cervical disc replacement, awake craniotomy, complex spinal reconstruction; computer-assisted (navigated) spine and brain surgery; craniotomy for tumor; dorsal column stimulator; Gamma Knife radiosurgery; minimally invasive spine surgery, peripheral nerve surgery; spinal fusion; and stereotactic and open biopsy.
Dan Barrow, MD, the Pamela R. Rollins professor and chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at Emory, stated, "Emory has the largest and most comprehensive neurosurgery service in the region, providing expert care by multidisciplinary teams in all subspecialties of the field. High volume neurosurgical centers have been shown to have better outcomes than lower volume centers and Emory Neurosurgery is the leader in virtually every category. The growth of neurosurgical services to Emory Saint Joseph's and the recruitment of outstanding and compassionate physicians like Drs. Ahmad and Deibert, is our most recent effort to expand access to our superior services to patients in the metropolitan area and beyond." Ahmad earned his medical degree from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. He completed his residency in neurosurgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Jackson Memorial Hospital, with two fellowships including a complex spine fellowship. He joined the Emory faculty in 2014.
In addition to his role as the director of spinal surgery for The Emory Clinic at Emory Saint Joseph's, Ahmad also serves as the director of spinal neurosurgery and director of surgical neurotrauma at Grady Memorial Hospital. His specialty interests include degenerative disc disease, minimally invasive treatment of spinal disorders, spinal tumors, artificial cervical disc replacement, computer assisted spine surgery, complex spinal reconstruction and spinal cord injury.
Ahmad's research interests include spinal injury, minimally invasive neurosurgery and traumatic brain injury. He is a prolific writer and researcher, has contributed more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, has extensively presented his work at conferences, and also serves as an editor and reviewer for several national and international neurosurgical peer reviewed journals. Ahmad is a committee member of several national neurosurgery committees including the Young Neurosurgeons Committee and the Joint Guidelines Committee of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.
Deibert earned his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and completed his residency in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where he was awarded the 2016 Ronald Bittner award for research in neuro-oncology by the American Association of Neurological Surgery.
Deibert's specialty interests include malignant and benign brain tumors, glioma, metastatic brain cancer, trigeminal neuralgia (facial pain syndrome), traumatic brain injury, acoustic neuroma, carpal tunnel, normal pressure hydrocephalus, chiari malformation, spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease.
His research is focused on improving neurocognitive and quality of life outcomes in patients with brain tumors who undergo treatment with both Gamma Knife radiosurgery and open craniotomy. This is accomplished by using the latest MRI technology to visualize the white matter pathways underlying the surface of the brain to plan minimally invasive approaches to difficult surgical lesions. Deibert's research is also focused on longitudinal care and rehabilitation of patients with brain tumors, strokes and traumatic brain injuries to help them maximize recover after leaving the hospital.