Congress of Neurological Surgeons Podcasts

September 2026 Journal Club Podcast

Title: A Propensity-Matched Comparison of Capacity for Functional Recovery by 24 Months Post-traumatic Brain Injury in Patients Who Died After Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Therapy
Authors: David Okonkwo
Guest Faculty: Gregory Hawryluk
Moderator: Zachary Sorrentino
Chair: Martin Pham

August 2026 Journal Club Podcast

Title: Awake Craniotomy in Patients With Language Deficits: A Retrospective Cohort Study in 48 Patients
To read journal article: journals.lww.com/neurosurgery/ful…enerative.7.aspx

Authors: Suzanne Hartung & Pierre Robe
Guest Faculty: Shawn Hervey-Jumper
Moderator: Alexander Himstead
Chair: Kimberly Hoang

Title: Surgery is Just the First Step: Wellness Through Whole Body Therapy on the Land and in the Water

Guest: Lynda Huey

Hosts: Brian Gantwerker and Lara Massie

Description:  In this episode, co-hosts Dr. Brian Gantwerker and Dr. Lara Massie welcome former athlete and water rehab expert Lynda Huey, CEO of CompletePT Pool & Land Physical Therapy, a leader in both land-based and aquatic rehabilitation.

Together, they discuss why physical therapy should be considered a first-line treatment—not only as an effective nonoperative option before surgery, but also as a vital part of post-surgical recovery. Lynda shares her decades of experience helping patients regain strength and mobility while explaining how early intervention can lead to better outcomes.

Learn more about Lynda's online courses at www.lyndahuey.com, and explore CompletePT Pool & Land Physical Therapy at https://completept.com/.

July 2026 Journal Club Podcast

Title: Outcome of Patients With Mild Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy Treated Nonoperatively: An Observational Study From the Canadian Spine Outcome and Research Network

To read journal article: https://journals.lww.com/neurosurgery/fulltext/2026/07000/outcome_of_patients_with_mild_degenerative.7.aspx

Author: Nikolaus Kögl
Guest Faculty: Neel Anand
Moderator: Roxana Beladi

Series Title: Conversations in Neurosurgery
Ep. 3: Women in Neurosurgery—Navigating Common Challenges in the Workplace

Guest: Nnenna Mbabuike, MD
Host: Tessa Rolleston

In this episode, Tessa Rolleston is joined by endovascular-trained neurosurgeon Dr. Nnenna Mbabuike to discuss some of the nuances and challenges of being a woman in the field of neurosurgery. A few of the topics discussed include access to complex cases early in your career, what she learned in those first 2 to 3 years in practice, where neurosurgery gets it wrong, how we can keep improving and adding diversity to the field and more.