Division of Neurosurgery

Department of Surgery

Cerebrovascular Program

A team approach to cardiovascular care

Director                    
Dr. Gwynedd Pickett

Coordinator 
Judith Jarrett

Team members

Dr. Adrienne Weeks, neurosurgeon
Dr. Gordon Gubitz, neurologist
Dr. Stephen Phillips, neurologist
Dr. William Maloney, neuroradiologist
Dr. Robert Vandorpe, neuroradiologist
Dr. Matthias Schmidt, neuroradiologist
Dr. Jai Shankar, neuroradiologist
Dr. Jens Heidenreich, neuroradiologist
Dr. Ahmed Al-Habsi, neurointerventional fellow
Judith Jarrett, research coordinator
Carole-Ann Miller, specialty nurse practitioner



The Cerebrovascular Program is a multidisciplinary program involving neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, stroke neurologists, nurses and trainees in each of these disciplines.  Halifax is the referral centre for the treatment of cerebrovascular disorders in Atlantic Canada with extensive experience in surgical and endovascular management of aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations (AVM), and the only centre with a stereotactic radiosurgery program for the treatment of patients with AVMs.  The cerebrovascular team meets weekly to review clinical cases from all of the Atlantic Provinces, and discuss recommendations for a multidisciplinary evidence-based approach to patient care.

Mission

Our team is dedicated to providing world class, innovative care for patients with cerebrovascular disorders.

Program goals

  • To treat patients with cerebrovascular disorders using the latest technology.
  • To advance the knowledge and techniques for the treatment of cerebrovascular disorders through education and research.
  • To translate research to evidence-based practice.


Cerebrovascular research

Our team is actively involved in cerebrovascular research, participating in several multi-centre studies and local investigator-driven studies. We maintain a number of databases that provide valuable information for local research endeavours.

Multi-centre studies

CURES - The Canadian Unruptured Endovascular Coiling versus Surgical Clipping Trial, a randomized comparison of angiographic and clinical outcomes following treatment for unruptured intracranial aneurysms.  Currently enrolling.

STAT – Stenting in the Treatment of Large, Wide-necked or Recurring Intracranial Aneurysm Trial. Currently enrolling.

HEAT - Multicenter randomized controlled trial of new generation Hydrogel coils versus bare platinum coils in the endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms.  Currently enrolling, 22 subjects enrolled.

ESCAPE- Endovascular Treatment for Small Core and Anterior Circulation Proximal Occlusion with Emphasis on minimizing CT to recanalization times.  5 subjects enrolled.

NAVIGATE ESUS – Secondary Prevention of Stroke in Patients with ESUS. Currently enrolling, 1 subject enrolled.

Ongoing local studies

Evaluation of the Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysm Treatment Score: how does it compare with treatment decisions made by a multidisciplinary team? Principal Investigator Dr. GE Pickett.

CT Perfusion Imaging to Predict Vasospasm in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.  Principal Investigator Dr. GE Pickett.  Funding from the Capital Health Research Fund

Intracranial Aneurysm Measurement with Magnetic Resonance Angiography: what is the smallest change that signifies growth?  Principal Investigator Dr. M Schmidt.

Management of Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms in a Canadian Tertiary Care Centre: clinical outcomes for coiling and clipping over a ten-year period post-ISAT. Principal Investigator Dr. GE Pickett.