Solomon Appointed Chairman of Neurosurgery

Dr. Robert Solomon

Dr. Robert A. Solomon has been named chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery. Forty-three-year-old Dr. Solomon succeeds Dr. Bennett Stein as head of one of the most highly regarded departments of neurological surgery in the country.

Dr. Solomon, who joined CPMC in 1980 as a neurological surgery resident, is a pioneer in the treatment of giant cerebral aneurysms--badly deformed and ballooned vessels in the brain that are likely to rupture and cause death. Since 1989, he has employed hypothermic arrest (a highly complex procedure that lowers body temperature and reduces brain activity and circulation) to remove such aneurysms with minimal blood loss and damage to vital organs. Achieving a patient survival rate of 85 percent to 90 percent, Dr. Solomon has dramatically improved the prognosis for patients afflicted with this common cause of brain hemorrhage. Today, the methods he pioneered a decade ago have become the universal standard of care.

"Dr. Solomon's aggressive approach to finding a successful treatment for aneurysms and his commitment to the advancement of patient care have greatly contributed to the department's reputation as a center of excellence for aneurysm treatment," says Dr. Herbert Pardes, vice president and dean. "Coupled with the high standards set by Dr. Stein, Dr. Solomon's innovative approach to tackling medical challenges and his proven leadership ability will keep Columbia's neurosurgical department among the nation's finest."

"Building on the strength of an outstanding young group of neurosurgeons strategically assembled over the last 11 years, the neurosurgery department is well positioned for the future," says Dr. Solomon. "With plans under way to acquire state-of-the-art technology for minimally invasive surgical approaches to neurological diseases, we will ensure that our department remains among the elite neurosurgical units in the world."

After graduating from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1980, Dr. Solomon began his general and neurological surgery training at CPMC. In addition to his expertise in treating aneurysms (he performs approximately 120 aneurysm operations a year), Dr. Solomon specializes in arteriovenous malformations of the brain and carotid artery disease. His research interests include cerebro-protection from stroke and the determination of the genetic basis of aneurysm formation. From 1986 to present, he has led the neurological intensive care unit and is the current director of the medical center's neurological surgery residency program.

In the coming years, Dr. Solomon anticipates major scientific contributions from faculty members especially in the areas of cerebrovascular diseases, neuro-oncology, and epilepsy.