Neurosurgery Tales

Aureliana Toma
  • 5.0 (2)
  • MEDICINE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Deep conversations with neurosurgeons around the world. Each episode features world-renowned experts sharing groundbreaking insights, personal journeys, and the latest advancements in brain and spine care. Stay ahead in the field with cutting-edge minimally invasive techniques, neurosurgical innovations, and the human side of medicine. Discover the stories shaping the future of neurosurgery—one conversation at a time.

  1. Episode 25 - Subhashree Hari

    OCT 22

    Episode 25 - Subhashree Hari

    Fourth-year neurosurgery resident Dr. Subhashree Hari (P.D. Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai) joins Neurosurgery Tales to talk about what residency really looks like inside one of India’s busiest centers: high-volume clinics, learning under national leaders, the first mistake you never forget, and why communication can matter as much as the knife. Subtle cultural contrasts emerge naturally as we discuss training realities, resources, and mindset. In this episode The long path into Indian neurosurgery residency Mentorship under top surgeons: inspiration vs. expectation 80–100 patient clinics: speed, stamina, and what actually sticks The hardest non-surgical skill: clear, right-sized communication The “first mistake” and how to prioritize under pressure Case presentations and turning data into a story that lands What her program does well, and how residents fill the gaps Build up or break down first? A realistic view of resilience Failure, “mediocrity,” and keeping the patient first The 10-year vision: subspecialty, family, access, and teaching GuestDr. Subhashree Hari • 4th-Year Neurosurgery ResidentP.D. Hinduja National Hospital & MRC, Mumbai, India Chapters00:00 Intro01:00 When residency first felt real04:20 Training under India’s leading neurosurgeons06:00 High-volume clinics: sharper or just tired?08:00 The hardest non-surgical skill: communication14:15 The first mistake you never forget20:25 How to turn medical data into a compelling narrative24:45 What Indian programs do well (and where residents self-correct)29:30 Build up vs. break down33:45 Failure, mediocrity, and keeping outcomes first39:30 A 10-year vision: subspecialty, family, access, teaching45:15 Closing About the showNeurosurgery Tales shares modern, honest conversations with neurosurgeons and residents worldwide. Contact / CollabsPress, academic, and sponsorship: atoma@neurosurgerytales.com

    43 min
  2. Episode 24 - Juan Carlos Fernandez-Miranda

    OCT 8

    Episode 24 - Juan Carlos Fernandez-Miranda

    About Dr. Fernandez-MirandaProfessor of Neurosurgery at Stanford University; Surgical Director, Brain Tumor, Skull Base, and Pituitary Centers; internationally recognized for endoscopic skull base surgery, pituitary and cavernous sinus surgery, and white-matter–respecting approaches.In this episode, Professor Juan C. Fernandez-Miranda, MD (Stanford Neurosurgery) unpacks the decision to leave Spain for Albert Rhoton’s lab, what “complete resection” means when function is at risk, why restraint can be braver than reach, and the reconstruction choices that truly reduce CSF leaks. We also dig into training realities: endoscopic endonasal technique, cavernous sinus work, simulation that includes stress and chaos, and how to prepare teams for the complications that matter.Topics:• Spain → Rhoton: the leap that changed his career• The line he refuses to cross, even when he could “get it done”• Functional risk and defining “complete resection”• CSF-leak reduction: grafts, flaps, lumbar drains, and when to go free flap• Overused approaches in 2025 and where they still belong• Simulation that’s actually useful: bleeding, pressure, and team choreography• Habits outside medicine that sharpen intraoperative judgment• What to audit when technical perfection doesn’t help the patient• Training the next generation without shortcuts.Chapters00:00 Intro00:30 Spain → Rhoton: strategy vs leap of faith05:10 The surgical line he won’t cross07:20 What “complete resection” means when function is on the line10:50 Reconstruction to reduce CSF leaks (high-flow vs low-flow; flap strategy)15:05 Overused approaches and narrow indications (endonasal, transorbital)17:50 Simulation and realistic visualization (VR + cadaveric, carotid-injury drills)23:10 Concentration, meditation, and pre-op mental rehearsal26:15 When technical success ≠ patient benefit: indication, timing, expectations28:05 Teaching: wide base before tall tower; what he hopes fellows surpass him in29:35 What changed him most across a career — and what stayed the same PODCAST INFO: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NeurosurgeryTalesPodcastSOCIAL: - TikTok: @neurosurgery.tale- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neurosurgery_tales/- Patreon: https://patreon.com/AurelianaToma

    29 min
  3. Episode 23 - Daniele Bongetta

    OCT 1

    Episode 23 - Daniele Bongetta

    Dr. Daniele Bongetta is Head of Neurosurgery at Fatebenefratelli in Milan, a researcher and educator. Trained at the University of Pavia, he has performed thousands of neurosurgical procedures with expertise spanning brain tumors, spinal and vascular surgery, and traumatic injuries. He co-founded the Neurosurgical Basics course to give residents essential skills often overlooked in traditional training, and he has published extensively on topics ranging from fluorescence-guided tumor surgery to impostor syndrome in young surgeons. Dr. Bongetta is also the Co-Director of the first-ever NeuroOlympics, an international event debuting in Rome that blends surgical training, competition, and the spirit of sport to reimagine how neurosurgeons learn and connect. In this episode:• Leadership as burden vs. opportunity• Why he co-founded Neurosurgical Basics to fill gaps in resident training• Impostor syndrome in neurosurgery and the mentors who change everything• Fluorescence-guided tumor surgery and low-cost innovation in the OR• Athlete or artist? The mindset surgeons carry into operating room• Designing the “perfect” operating room of the future• Mistake on the Lake: why we must talk openly about surgical complications• The defining challenge for the next generation of neurosurgeons• The first NeuroOlympics in Rome — mixing skill, sport, and community• Choosing neurosurgery again

    27 min
  4. Who Owns the Brain? The Politics of Neurodata

    SEP 3

    Who Owns the Brain? The Politics of Neurodata

    Who owns your brain?Brain tech is here.Headbands track your focus. Stick-on “e-tattoos” read stress in real time. Neuralink implants are already in people.But the law is only now catching up.Chile has written neurorights into its Constitution. Colorado and California have declared brain-wave data “sensitive.” The EU bans emotion recognition in workplaces and schools.Still—outside the clinic, your brain data is often treated like shopping history, not sacred self. And that raises a bigger, more urgent question: If your thoughts can be recorded, who owns the master? You… or the system?In this episode of Deeply Unqualified, I explore:• The rise of consumer neurotech—headbands, tattoos, and headphones that read the mind• Why brain scans aren’t as anonymous as you think• How laws in Chile, the U.S., and Europe are drawing the first battle lines• What “neurorights” really mean for the future of privacy and identityAnd maybe the new rule we need is simple: My brain. My rules.PODCAST INFO: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NeurosurgeryTalesPodcastSOCIAL: - TikTok: @neurosurgery.tale- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neurosurgery_tales/- Patreon: https://patreon.com/AurelianaToma

    5 min
  5. Episode 22 - Andrew Brunswick

    AUG 27

    Episode 22 - Andrew Brunswick

    A conversation with Dr. Andrew Brunswick, neurosurgeon at Kaiser Permanente, Columbia and NYU trained, as we explore the intersections of finance, surgery, and mindset.In this episode:• From Wall Street to neurosurgery – how his early detour shaped ambition and risk-taking• Why simulation training is essential for rare, high-stakes moments in the OR• The balance between data, protocol, and intuition in neurosurgery• Coping with complications and the hidden emotional toll of surgery• Parenting, identity, and building resilience outside the OR• Rethinking burnout and what needs to change in neurosurgical training• The future culture of neurosurgery and why balance matters for the next generationDr. Brunswick also shares how meditation, equanimity, and mindset training can transform the way surgeons practice, both technically and emotionally.PODCAST INFO: YouTube A conversation with Dr. Andrew Brunswick, neurosurgeon at Kaiser Permanente, Columbia and NYU trained, as we explore the intersections of finance, surgery, and mindset.In this episode:• From Wall Street to neurosurgery – how his early detour shaped ambition and risk-taking• Why simulation training is essential for rare, high-stakes moments in the OR• The balance between data, protocol, and intuition in neurosurgery• Coping with complications and the hidden emotional toll of surgery• Parenting, identity, and building resilience outside the OR• Rethinking burnout and what needs to change in neurosurgical training• The future culture of neurosurgery and why balance matters for the next generationDr. Brunswick also shares how meditation, equanimity, and mindset training can transform the way surgeons practice, both technically and emotionally.PODCAST INFO: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@NeurosurgeryTalesPodcast SOCIAL: - TikTok: @neurosurgery.tale- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neurosurgery_tales/- Patreon: https://patreon.com/AurelianaToma

    40 min
  6. Episode 21 - Peter Vajkoczy

    AUG 20

    Episode 21 - Peter Vajkoczy

    A conversation with Prof. Peter Vajkoczy, Chairman of Neurosurgery at Charité Berlin, as we explore leadership, empathy, surgical philosophy, and life at the edge of medicine.In this episode:• Why arrogance is a risk in neurosurgery — and how humility must be protected• Writing Kopfarbeit: why he chose to share surgical failures as well as triumphs• Why empathy — and even suffering — are essential for growth in neurosurgery• Building one of the world’s top neurosurgery programs at Charité• His vision of mentorship and what young neurosurgeons most need to hear• Redefining success in life-extending but not life-curing surgeries• How daily work between life and death has shaped his view of mortality• Why perfection is impossible — and why constant improvement matters more. Connect with Prof. Peter Vajkoczy:Instagram: @pvajkoczyX (Twitter): @vajkoczyPODCAST INFO: SOCIAL: - TikTok: @neurosurgery.tale- Instagram:@neurosurgery_tales- Patreon: https://patreon.com/AurelianaToma

    39 min

  7. AUG 18

    Surgical Heroism

    What happens when doing “everything” becomes too much? In this episode of Deeply Unqualified, I confront the myth of surgical heroism—and the devastation it can leave behind.In this episode:• The cultural obsession with heroic surgery• Data from DECRA, RESCUEicp & JAMA Surgery• Ethical dilemmas: Can survival be a failure?• A personal reckoning with ego, courage, and the limits of medicineThis isn’t about blaming surgeons. It’s about asking better questions.What does it mean to be a good doctor when doing less might be the most humane act?

    7 min
  8. Episode 20 - Dr. Z

    JUL 29

    Episode 20 - Dr. Z

    n this episode of Neurosurgery Tales, I sit down with Dr. Z—a board-certified neurosurgeon and one of the most influential medical voices on social media. Dr. Z brings an unfiltered, deeply human perspective to the world of spine surgery, medical training, and what it really means to strive for excellence.We talk about:• The emotional toll and discipline required in neurosurgery• Whether fear of being average is a healthy motivator• How he balances introversion with public visibility• Spine surgery controversies: arthroplasty vs. fusion• Managing patient expectations in the age of zero-pain culture• What it means to lead with both logic and empathy

    48 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
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About

Deep conversations with neurosurgeons around the world. Each episode features world-renowned experts sharing groundbreaking insights, personal journeys, and the latest advancements in brain and spine care. Stay ahead in the field with cutting-edge minimally invasive techniques, neurosurgical innovations, and the human side of medicine. Discover the stories shaping the future of neurosurgery—one conversation at a time.

Information

  • Creator
    Aureliana Toma
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Aureliana Toma
  • Show Website
    Neurosurgery Tales

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