University of Wisconsin–Madison

Neuroendovascular (NES)

Neuroendovascular surgery (NES) is an innovative, minimally-invasive surgical treatment for complex brain and spinal cord vascular diseases that is performed from inside the blood vessels. Also known as endovascular neurosurgery, neurointerventional surgery, endovascular surgical neuroradiology and interventional neuroradiology, neuroendovascular surgery involves advancing small hollow tubes (catheters) and small devices through arteries and veins. Many of the treatments are performed entirely endovascularly (inside the vessels), with no other treatment necessary. In other cases the endovascular treatment is preoperative prior to open neurosurgery. Preoperative tumor embolization is an example of this. Services

  • Cerebral and spinal digital subtraction angiography, rotational angiography with 3-D reconstruction, intra-arterial or intravenous digital subtraction angiography for cerebral blood flow, color-coded cerebral blood flow imaging
  • Acute ischemic stroke treatment (intra-arterial opening of blocked vessels to reverse an evolving stroke)
  • Treatment of aneurysm, including coiling with/without balloon remodeling, stent placement and flow diversion devices
  • Intracranial angioplasty and stenting for atherosclerotic stenosis
  • Preoperative or curative arteriovenous malformation embolization
  • Vein of Galen and other congenital vascular malformation embolizaton
  • Cervical carotid artery percutaneous transluminal arterial (PTA) angioplasty and stenting for atherosclerotic stenosis
  • Tumor embolization
  • Embolization of arteriovenous fistulae of the brain and spine
  • Treatment of cerebral vasospasm
  • Treatment of refractory epistaxis
  • Percutaneous sclerotherapy of venous vascular and lymphatic vascular malformations

Beverly Aagaard-Kienitz

Credentials: MD

Position title: Professor - CHS in Radiology

Email: BAagaard-Kienitz@uwhealth.org

Azam Ahmed

Credentials: MD, FAANS, FACS

Position title: Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Radiology

Email: azam.ahmed@neurosurgery.wisc.edu

David Niemann

Credentials: MD

Position title: Associate Professor

Email: niemann@neurosurgery.wisc.edu