Virendra R. Desai, MD

Surgical Director, Comprehensive Epilepsy Center

Associate Fellowship Director, Pediatric Neurosurgery Fellowship

Director, Neurosurgery Residency Program

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Assistant Professor, Pediatric Neurosurgery, Keck School of Medicine of USC

Dr. Desai first found a passion for medicine in college, where he studied neuroscience. In medical school, he quickly developed an interest in neurosurgery – specifically, the ability to “hands-on” improve a patient’s health and quality of life, while immersing in a highly academic field. He partook in stroke imaging research that was NIH-funded. He completed a neurosurgery residency at Houston Methodist Hospital, finding joy in the smiles of his pediatric patients and was motivated to pursue a fellowship in pediatric neurosurgery at Riley Children’s Hospital. He currently focuses on surgical epilepsy and movement disorders, particularly enjoying not only stopping a child’s seizures, but also seeing the child grow into the person they were meant to become – cognitively, socially, behaviorally and psychologically. He has authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications, has experience building state-of-the-art comprehensive epilepsy, movement disorder and chronic pain programs, plays an integral role in training the next generation of neurosurgeons and performs the most advanced surgical techniques including robotic-assistance, minimally invasive procedures, deep brain stimulation, responsive neurostimulation, selective dorsal rhizotomy and nerve decompressions.

Education

Medical School

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Residency

Neurosurgery at Houston Methodist Hospital

Fellowship

Pediatric Neurosurgery at Riley Children’s Hospital

Accomplishments

Certifications

American Board of Neurological Surgery
American Board of Pediatric Neurosurgery

Professional Memberships

Fellow of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (FAANS)
Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) member
Joint pediatric section AANS/CNS member

Awards

Cover Article Journal of Neurosurgery – March 2020
Panesar SP, Volpi J, Lumsden A, Desai V, Kleiman NS, Sample TL, Britz GW. Telerobotic stroke intervention: a novel solution to the care dissemination dilemma. J Neurosurg. 2019; 132(3):971-8.

2018 Editor’s choice for most noteworthy articles Journal of Neurosurgery
Desai VR, Raskin JS, Mohan A, Montojo J, Briceno V, Curry DJ, Lam S. A standardized protocol to reduce pediatric baclofen pump infections: a quality improvement initiative. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2018; 21(4): 395-400. Doi: 10.3171/2017.10.PEDS17248.

“In brief” statement invitation Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics
Desai VR, Vedantam A, Boerwinkle VL, Lam SK. Language lateralization with resting state and task-based functional MRI in pediatric epilepsy. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2018; 1-7 Epub before print. Doi: 10.3171/2018.7.PEDS.18162.

One of few influential studies selected for “Edition of Research Insights” - World Neurosurgery
Desai VR, Gadgil N, Saad S, Raskin JS, Lam SK. Measures of health-related quality of life outcomes in pediatric neurosurgery: literature review. World Neurosurg. 2018; pii: S1878-8750(18)32501-4. Doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2018.10.194.

Top 5 Abstracts: AANS Peds Section 2020
Easwaran TP, Baygani S, Vortmeyer A, Jea A, Desai VR, Raskin JS. Predictors of seizure freedom in pediatric low-grade gliomas.

Selected for Pediatric Fellow Section: AANS Peds Section 2020
Desai VR, Garland C, Patel A, Jea A. Patient reported outcomes in spinal column shortening in children. 49th Annual Virtual Meeting for AANS/CNS Section on Pediatric Neurological Surgery. Dec. 2-4, 2020.

Selected for May 2022 Journal Club for Neurosurgical Focus
Grossen A, Gavula T, Chrusciel D, Evans A, McNall-Knapp R, Taylor A, Fossey B, Brakefield M, Carter C, Schwartz N, Gross N, Jea A, Desai V. Multidisciplinary Neurocutaneous Syndromes Clinics: A Systematic Review and Institutional Experience. Neurosurg Focus. 2022; 52(5):E2.

Funding

Completed Research Support
01, NIH Training Grant, PHS Type 5, Activity T35, ID serial no. NS051166-04
05/18/2009 – 07/10/2009
Diffusion-perfusion mismatch via apparent diffusion coefficient magnetic resonance imaging: temporal analysis
$3,462
Role: Research Fellow

Areas of Focus

Surgical Epilepsy
Functional and movement disorder surgery including baclofen pump placement, selective dorsal rhizotomy and deep brain stimulation
Neurosurgical pain procedures including spinal cord stimulation, nerve decompressions, dorsal root entry zone lesioning and neuromodulation
Robotic and Stereotactic procedures
Minimally invasive surgery
MR-guided laser ablation
Responsive Neurostimulation

Publications

Niznik T, Grossen A, Shi H, Stephens M, Herren C, Desai V. Learning Curve in Robotic Stereoelectroencephalography: Single Platform Experience. World Neurosurgery 2024;182:e442-52. Doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2023.11.119.Epub.

Villeneuve L, Evans A, Bowen I, Gernsback J, Balsara K, Jea A, Desai VR. A systematic review of the power of standardization in pediatric neurosurgery. Neurosurg Rev 2023;46(1):325.

Grossen A, Shi H, Schenk M, Stocco A, Ramsey J, Sahgal S, Conner A, Desai VR. Deep brain stimulation in a pediatric dystonia patient with cochlear implants and mitochondrial disorder: novel application of the NexFrame and navigating anesthetic choice and neurosurgical complexities. JNS Case Lessons 2023;6(6).

Parrott A, Tavakol S, Zieles K, Jea A, Desai VR. The evolution of sEEG: Symbiotic Progress in Medical Imaging and Procedural Technologies. J Neurosurg Pediatr 2023;32(5):545-52.

Villeneuve LM, Coulibaly NJ, Raza SM, Poinson B, Chrusciel D, Desai VR. Surgical management of pediatric occipital neuralgia: a single-center experience of an uncommon pathology. J Neurosurg Pediatr 2023;32(4):514-21.

Grossen AA, Iser CR, Leming AB, Desai VR, Chrusciel DG. Treatment of pediatric trigeminal neuralgia with microvascular decompression: a case series and systematic review. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2023;32(3):384-93.

Desai VR, Grossen A, Vuong H, Hopkins N, Peters M, Jea A. Academic productivity in pediatric neurosurgery in relation to elective surgery slowdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. JNS Peds 1.aop (2022):1-7.

Grossen A, Gavula T, Chrusciel D, Evans A, McNall-Knapp R, Taylor A, Fossey B, Brakefield M, Carter C, Schwartz N, Gross N, Jea A, Desai V. Multidisciplinary Neurocutaneous Syndromes Clinics: A Systematic Review and Institutional Experience. Neurosurg Focus. 2022; 52(5):E2.

Desai VR, Vedantam A, Boerwinkle VL, Lam SK. Language lateralization with resting state and task-based functional MRI in pediatric epilepsy. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2018; 1-7 Epub before print. Doi: 10.3171/2018.7.PEDS.18162.

Desai VR, Raskin JS, Mohan A, Montojo J, Briceno V, Curry DJ, Lam S. A standardized protocol to reduce pediatric baclofen pump infections: a quality improvement initiative. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2018; 21(4): 395-400. Doi: 10.3171/2017.10.PEDS17248.

PubMed Link

Publications on PubMed