TOPICS
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A celebration was held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Department of Neurosurgery
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Hands-on seminar for medical residents and students held
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The 54th Neurosurgery Forum was held on the 2nd floor of our hospital's Matsumae Memorial Hall.
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Hands-on seminar on vascular anastomosis and endovascular treatment held for first-year residents
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Associate Professor Nonaka participated as a lecturer in the Skull Base Cadaver Dissection Course in Jakarta.
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Public lecture held
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Staff of Tokai University visited to observe awake surgery for brain tumor in National Cancer Center Hospital
Greetings
Professor's Greetings
Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery
Masamichi Takahashi
My name is Masamichi Takahashi, and I took office as the fourth Professor and Chair of the Department on April 1, 2024, succeeding the first Professor Osamu Sato, the second Professor Ryuichi Tsugane, and the third Professor Mitsunori Matsumae.
After spending my high school years in Tokyo, I graduated from Niigata University School of Medicine in 2001 and joined the Department Neurosurgery at the University of Tokyo, headed by Dr. Takaaki Kirino. During my clinical training in general Neurosurgery I developed a strong desire to treat patients with malignant brain tumors. Starting in 2007, I began basic research on brain tumors as a graduate student under the guidance of Dr. Tomoki Todo at the University of Tokyo, where Dr. Nobuhito Saito was a professor. After graduating in 2011, I spent three years as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), where I continued the translational research to link basic research to clinical trials. In 2014, I returned to Japan and joined the Department of Neurosurgery and Neuro-Oncology at the National Cancer Center Hospital. For the next 10 years, I have worked under Dr. Yoshitaka Narita, conducting surgery, basic research, and developing new treatments for malignant brain tumors. I am deeply honored to have been given the opportunity to manage the Department of Neurosurgery at Tokai University School of Medicine, which has a proud tradition spanning 50-year history, and I keenly feel the weight of the responsibility entrusted to me.
Neurosurgery has become increasingly specialized in recent years, but our hospital provides care in a wide range of fields, focusing on cerebrovascular diseases, brain tumors, head trauma, functional neurosurgery, and spinal surgery. We are prepared to accept patients 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to ensure adequate response, especially for conditions requiring emergency treatment. At the same time, we are well prepared and provide cutting-edge treatment by experts in each field, and we perform one of the highest surgical procedures in the country. As a guiding principle of our department, even amid their busy schedules, our physicians are encouraged to collaborate closely with nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals to provide holistic care to each patient, while also prioritizing their own lives and cherishing time with their loved ones, in order to embody the qualities of a “good doctor.” Furthermore, by studying cutting-edge medical treatments both domestically and internationally, honing our surgical and treatment skills, and conducting research to advance medicine, we cultivate physicians who combine high-level science with deep humanity, and continue to provide the highest level of care to our patients. We humbly ask for your guidance and support.
Treatment details
Department of Neurosurgery provides highly specialized neurosurgical treatments for brain disorders. We are equipped with a 24-hour system for neurosurgical emergency, including subarachnoid hemorrhage, cerebral hemorrhage, and cerebral infarction, as well as traumatic injuries such as traffic accidents. Our specialists carefully consider and implement the optimal treatment for each patient, using both craniotomy and endovascular therapy. For brain tumors, we utilize the latest equipment, including a navigation system and an intraoperative MRI room, to provide safe and precise surgical treatment for even the most challenging tumors. Our outpatient department is staffed by specialists for all Neurosurgery conditions, and we accept referrals from medical institutions, both nearby and far away. We provide optimal care based on the requests written on the referral letter and promptly report results. As a leading institution driving medical advancement, we also conduct clinical research in collaboration with university hospitals and medical institutions nationwide, working to develop new treatments.
Main target diseases
1. Cerebrovascular disease
There are two types of surgery for cerebrovascular disorders: craniotomy and catheter-based endovascular surgery. At Tokai University, specialists in each treatment consult with each other to provide the optimal treatment (tailor-made treatment) for each patient. We also work with Department of Neurology to provide catheter surgery for acute cerebral infarction on a 24-hour basis. Please feel free to contact us with any concerns you may have about cerebrovascular disease.
2. Brain tumors
Among all university hospitals in Japan, our hospital is equipped with an intraoperative MRI operation room from the earliest stage, and we use navigation systems and brain function monitoring to perform safe maximal removal. In treating patients with malignant brain tumors, we "remove as much tumor as possible without worsening the patient's neurological findings." After surgery, we perform multidisciplinary treatment using radiation therapy and chemotherapy. In particular, our hospital is one of the few "Designated Hospital for Cancer Genomic Medicine" in the country, and is a facility that can hold expert panels on its own. We promptly perform genetic analysis of tumor cells removed during surgery, search for new therapeutic drugs that are optimal for each patient, and provide cutting-edge cancer genomic medicine. In addition, for benign brain tumors, our hospital has specialists with advanced surgical techniques who aim for a complete cure through surgery while also providing optimal treatment with an emphasis on the patient's functional prognosis. Over the seven years from July 2017 to July 2024, we have performed surgery on 286 cases and many skull base tumors. We pursue safer and more reliable surgery by using intraoperative monitoring systems and navigation systems. We treat a wide range of tumors, including not only base of the skull tumors but also deeply-located brain tumors such as those in the brain stem, intraorbital tumors, and cervical tumors, so please feel free to consult us even if you have been refused surgery at another hospital.
3. head injury
Our hospital handles tertiary emergency care and is the base hospital for Kanagawa Prefecture's doctor helicopter. As a result, we accept many patients with head injuries. We work in cooperation with Critical Care Department to provide prompt treatment, and we strive every day to keep the time to transport patients to the operating room to within 30 minutes, especially in cases of isolated head injuries. (Image shows a head CT scan of a patient with acute subdural hematoma, cerebral contusion, and pneumocephalus)
4. Trigeminal neuralgia and facial spasms
Facial spasms and trigeminal neuralgia are diseases caused by the facial nerve and trigeminal nerve being compressed by their own cerebral blood vessels near the brain stem. When drug therapy does not improve the condition or when it interferes with daily life, surgical treatment is indicated. Since the surgery is highly challenging as it reaches deep into the brain (near the brain stem), it is performed by a specialist with extensive experience and advanced surgical techniques.
5. Functional Neurosurgery
Parkinson's disease is a disease that is primarily treated by Department of Neurology who adjust various medications to prevent it from interfering with daily life, but it is known that the disease gradually becomes resistant to drug therapy. For such patients, surgery (deep brain stimulation therapy) is performed. Our department works closely with Department of Neurology to perform surgery.
6. Spinal and spinal surgery
The spinal cord (nerves connecting the brain and brainstem) is protected by the spine (the so-called backbone from the neck to the lower back), and can be compressed by deformation or misalignment of the spine. The spinal cord can also be compressed by tumors. In our department, we perform delicate surgery using a microscope on patients who have pain, numbness, or motor paralysis caused by such nerve compression, aiming to improve their symptoms.
Main medical achievements
In 2023, our department performed 687 surgeries, one of the highest volumes of surgeries among university hospitals nationwide. These included 123 brain tumors, 240 vascular disorders, 90 head injuries, 62 spinal cord surgeries, and 172 other procedures. Normal medical activities are conducted 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and our department is also characterized by its preparedness to accept emergency patients. In the case of isolated head injuries, we aim to transport patients to surgery within 30 minutes, and we strive every day to provide a rapid response.
We also conduct clinical research to further the development of medicine, and in 2023, five new clinical studies were initiated with the approval of the ethics committee.
Figure 1. Trends in the number of Neurosurgery procedures from 2013 to 2023
Doctor List
Department Head: Masamichi Takahashi
Clinical department URL: https://www.fuzoku-hosp.tokai.ac.jp/service/nou-geka/
Outpatient: 0463(93)1121
Professor Masamichi Takahashi
| Specialization | Brain tumors |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Board Certified Neurosurgeon by the Japan Neurosurgical Society / Board Certified Fellow of the Japanese Society for Neuroendoscopy / Board Certified Member of Japanese Board of Cancer Therapy |
| Specialized Areas | Brain tumor surgery and chemotherapy |
| Outpatient medical day | Wednesday |
Professor Takatoshi Sorimachi
| Specialization | Cerebrovascular disease |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Board Certified Neurosurgeon by the Japan Neurosurgical Society / Supervising Physician, Japanese Society for Neuroendovascular Therapy / Supervising Physician, Japan Society of Surgery for Cerebral Stroke |
| Specialized Areas | Surgery for cerebrovascular disease |
| Outpatient medical day | Monday |
Associate Professor Yoichi Nonaka
| Specialization | Brain tumors, skull base surgery |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Board Certified Neurosurgeon by the Japan Neurosurgical Society / Board Certified Physician, Japan Acoustic Neuroma Society |
| Specialized Areas | Surgical treatment for brain tumors, surgical treatment for skull base tumors, surgical treatment for hemifacial spasm and trigeminal neuralgia |
| Outpatient medical day | Thursday |
Instructor: Yumie Honda
| Specialization | Emergency, head injury |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Board Certified Neurosurgeon by the Japan Neurosurgical Society / Supervising Physician, Japanese Association for Acute Medicine / Board Certified Stroke Specialist, The Japan Stroke Society / Supervising Physician, Japan Society of Neurotraumatology / Board Certified Physician, Japanese Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery |
| Specialized Areas | Neurosurgical emergency, Neurosurgical trauma |
| Outpatient medical day | Wednesday |
Lecturer: Takahiro Osada
| Specialization | Cerebrovascular disease |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Board Certified Neurosurgeon by the Japan Neurosurgical Society / Board Certified Specialist, Japanese Society for Neuroendovascular Therapy / Board Certified Stroke Specialist, The Japan Stroke Society / Supervising Specialist, and Board Certified Specialist in Surgical Techniques for Stroke, Japan Society of Surgery for Cerebral Stroke / Board Certified Headache Specialist, Japanese Headache Society |
| Specialized Areas | Surgery for cerebrovascular disorders, endovascular treatment |
| Outpatient medical day | Friday |
Lecturer: Hideaki Shigematsu
| Specialization | Cerebrovascular disease |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Board Certified Neurosurgeon by the Japan Neurosurgical Society / Supervising Physician, Japanese Society for Neuroendovascular Therapy / Board Certified Specialist in Surgical Techniques for Stroke, Japan Society of Surgery for Cerebral Stroke / Supervising Physician, Japan Society of Neurotraumatology |
| Specialized Areas | Endovascular Treatment |
| Outpatient medical day | Wednesday |
Assistant Professor Nozue Kyoko
| Specialization | General Neurosurgery |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Board Certified Neurosurgeon by the Japan Neurosurgical Society |
| Specialized Areas | General Neurosurgery |
| Outpatient medical day | Friday |
Assistant Professor Naokazu Hayashi
| Specialization | General Neurosurgery |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Board Certified Neurosurgeon by the Japan Neurosurgical Society |
| Specialized Areas | Brain tumor surgery |
| Outpatient medical day | Tuesday |
Assistant Professor Miyu Kikuchi
| Specialist | Board Certified Neurosurgeon by the Japan Neurosurgical Society |
|---|---|
| Specialized Areas | General Neurosurgery |
Assistant Professor Azusa Sunaga
| Specialization | General Neurosurgery |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Board Certified Neurosurgeon by the Japan Neurosurgical Society/Board Certified Specialist, Japanese Society for Neuroendovascular Therapy |
| Specialized Areas | General Neurosurgery |
| Outpatient medical day | Friday |
Assistant Professor Takuya Yonemochi
| Specialization | General Neurosurgery |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Board Certified Neurosurgeon by the Japan Neurosurgical Society/Board Certified Specialist, Japanese Society for Neuroendovascular Therapy |
| Specialized Areas | General Neurosurgery |
| Outpatient medical day | Tuesday |
Chiaki Shinohara (Resident)
| Specialization | General Neurosurgery |
|---|---|
| Specialized Areas | General Neurosurgery |
Mai Kanno (Specialist)
| Specialization | General Neurosurgery |
|---|---|
| Specialized Areas | General Neurosurgery |
Tanefumi Baba (Part-time doctor)
| Specialization | Pituitary tumors |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Board Certified Neurosurgeon by the Japan Neurosurgical Society / Certified Physician of the Japan Society of Neuroendoscopy / Specialist of the Japan Society of Endocrinology / Certified Physician of the Society of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery of Japan / Certified Physician of the Japan Society of Pediatric Neurosurgery / Certified Physician of Spinal Cord Surgery / Specialist of the Japan Headache Society / Specialist of the Japan Stroke Society |
| Specialized Areas | Surgical treatment of the pituitary gland |
| Outpatient medical day | Tuesday |
Jun Nishiyama (Part-time doctor)
| Specialization | Brain tumors |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Board Certified Neurosurgeon by the Japan Neurosurgical Society / Specialist of the Japan Stroke Society / Specialist of the Japanese Headache Society / Japan Certified Cancer Therapist / Specialist of the Japanese Society of Dementia / Others |
| Specialized Areas | Brain tumor surgery and chemotherapy |
| Outpatient medical day | Wednesday |
Kazuko Hotta (Part-time doctor)
| Specialization | Emergency, head injury |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Board Certified Neurosurgeon by the Japan Neurosurgical Society / Specialist of the Japan Stroke Society / Specialist of the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine / Instructor of the Japan Neurotraumatology Society / Specialist and Councillor of the Japan Association for the Surgery of Trauma |
| Specialized Areas | Neurosurgical emergency, Neurosurgical trauma |
| Outpatient medical day | Saturday |