Sunil J. Patel, MD
Professor and Co-Chair
Contact Information
patels@musc.edu
843.792.2423
Education
BS, 1981, Clemson University
MD, 1985, Medical University of South Carolina
Residency, 1990, Neurological Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina
Fellowship, 1991, Microneurosurgery, Nagoya University School of Medicine
Fellowship, 1993, Microvascular Neurosurgery Presbyterian-University Hospital
Fellowship, 1993, Skull Base Surgery, University of Pittsburgh
Clinical Expertise
As an expert in surgery of the posterior fossa,
Dr Patel treats patients with various neurovascular compression syndromes such
as trigeminal neuralgia, glossopharyngeal neuralgia, hemifacial spasm, torticollis
and other posterior fossa and cranial nerve disorders. Having performed over
100 operations for trigeminal neuralgia alone, he has refined the microvascular
decompression operation for these disorders with minimally invasive techniques.
Dr Patel established the Brain Tumor Clinic at the Hollings Cancer Center in 1994 and performs over 100 brain tumor operations a year. He has helped to keep MUSC Neurosurgery at the forefront in state-of-the-art technology and has extensive experience in the microsurgical management of tumors and vascular lesions of the brain and skull base. Using image guided instruments and newly developed functional imaging, innovative minimally invasive techniques are being brought to the operating room. Brain tumors can be removed with minimal harm to adjacent functional brain. Pituitary tumors are now removed exclusively with an endoscope through the nostril, minimizing the trauma of the surgery, and drastically shortening the recovery period.
Research Interests
The main focus of clinical research in the area of brain tumors is in the development
and use of cancer targeting drugs that are directly infused into the tumor.
Dr Patel has been the Principal Investigator at MUSC in two of the first multi-institutional
intra-tumoral drug infusion trials for malignant brain tumors in this country.
His team of researchers have helped to refine methods to infuse drug into tumors
in the brain. He is also an active Investigator in several of the clinical
trials underway in the Department such as for intracerebral and intraventricular
hemorrhage. He also has a strong interest in mechanisms of neurovascular compression
syndromes such as trigeminal neuralgia. His present research efforts are directed
in the area of autonomic dysfunctions such as hypertension as they may relate
to similar neurovascular compression (of the brainstem) in the posterior fossa.