• Staff

The neurosurgery team at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (SCVMC) specializes in neurotraumas for both brain and spine injuries as well as reconstructive surgery of the spine, peripheral nerve surgery, and minimally invasive surgery. Santa Clara Valley Medical Center is an ACS Level I Trauma Center, which means we provide the highest level of surgical care to trauma patients. Our Emergency Department cares for more than 80,000 patients with emergency conditions each year, and of these, 2,500 are the victims of significant trauma.  Approximately 40% of all operative neurosurgery cases are as a result of transfers from other hospitals because of our expertise in cranial and spinal trauma surgeries.

The SCVMC neurosurgery team is led by Dr. Roland Torres, Section Chief of the Neurosurgery Division. Dr. Torres is a nationally recognized neurotrauma expert and one of the few neurosurgeons in the United State who is certified as an Advanced Trauma Life Support provider and instructor. Dr. Torres has completed fellowship training in complex spine injuries.

Dr. Torres is focused on providing advanced care for patients with severe traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries.  Neurosurgical services at SCVMC provide the highest level of neurosurgical care for the critically injured trauma patient.  Dr. Torres works closely with medical industry leaders and is currently developing innovative monitoring technologies for brain and spinal cord injury.  In addition to this work, Dr. Torres is studying the effects of anticoagulant medications on the trauma patient and has been part of the team evaluating the use of stem cells in treating spinal injuries.

Dr. Torres collaborates with a full array of surgical subspecialty divisions within the hospital. Dr. Torres also has close working relationships with community neurosurgeons and emergency room physicians in other hospitals.  Led by Dr. Torres, the neurosurgery team provides care for people injured in a five county area extending from San Jose, east to the San Joaquin Valley, and south to San Luis Obispo.

The neurosurgery team works closely with the nationally known Rehabilitation Center for spinal cord and brain injuries at SCVMC. This team is the only neurosurgery service in Northern California that cares for all neurological injuries from the moment of injury to the completion of rehabilitation.

Four neurosurgery team members have completed spinal surgery or spinal injury fellowships.  With the members of SCVMC’s pain management, rehabilitation and neurology departments, we have one of the largest and most experienced groups of spinal specialists in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Our team members are leaders in spinal trauma, minimally invasive spinal surgery, spinal reconstruction, and spinal rehabilitation.

As a major teaching hospital affiliated with Stanford University, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center has access to the latest tools and techniques. Santa Clara Valley Medical Center neurosurgeons provide integrated care for brain tumors including stereotactically guided surgery, minimally invasive and endoscopic tumor surgery, and the latest non-invasive radiosurgical techniques.  We are leading providers of care for rare or complex infections of the nervous system.