Curtis Dickman is an American Neurosurgeon at Barrow Neurological Institute, and is recognized internationally for his pioneering work in the field of Thoracoscopic Neurosurgery. He serves as Director of the Spine Research Laboratory and Associate Chief of the Spine Section at Barrow Neurological Institute.
After graduating from Medical school at the University of Arizona, Dr. Dickman began his neurosurgical training at Barrow Neurological Institute, and was one of the first group of residents to train under Drs. Robert Spetzler and Volker Sonntag. He completed a fellowship in spine at the University of Florida, and soon thereafter was added to the faculty of the Department of Neurosurgery at Barrow Neurological Institute.
In the early 1990s, Dr. Dickman became heavily involved in both the development and popularization of endoscopic assisted spine procedures within neurosurgery. He pioneered the field of thoracoscopic neurosurgery, becoming one of the first neurosurgeons to use endoscopes to treat diseases of the thoracic spine via a minimally invasive method. He translated a relatively new technology utilized in the cardiothoracic surgical sub-specialty for neurosurgical purposes, and developed some of the basic instruments commonly used today by neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons alike for minimally invasive thoracic spinal procedures. Thoracoscopic spine surgery has since become a common treatment modality for a multitude of neurosurgical pathologies, including Herniated Thoracic Discs and Hyperhidrosis. Dr. Dickman currently remains one of the most prolific thoracoscopic spine surgeons in the world, and has written the only textbook on the subject. His recently published series on the subject has become a standard by which other neurosurgeons are measured against.
In addition to his work on Thoracoscopic procedures, Dr. Dickman has published numerous textbooks and papers on the craniocervical junction. He is well known for the "Sonntag-Dickman Fusion," a special method of fusing the upper cervical spine.
Oppenlander, ME; Kalani, MY; Dickman, CA (May 2012). "Spinal and paraspinal giant cervical cavernous malformation with postpartum presentation". J Neurosurg Spine. 16 (5): 447–51. doi:10.3171/2012.1.spine11630.
Gantwerker, BR; Dickman, CA (Jul 2011). "Tandem intercostal thoracic schwannomas resected using a thoracoscopic nerve-sparing technique: case report". Neurosurgery. 69 (1): E225–9. PMID 21796067. doi:10.1227/neu.0b013e3182191430.
Wait, SD; Fox, DJ Jr; Kenny, KJ; Dickman, CA (Jan 2012). "Thoracoscopic resection of symptomatic herniated thoracic discs: clinical results in 121 patients". Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 37 (1): 35–40. doi:10.1097/brs.0b013e3182147b68.
Ponce, FA; Killory, BD; Wait, SD; Theodore, N; Dickman, CA (Mar 2011). "Endoscopic resection of intrathoracic tumors: experience with and long-term results for 26 patients". J Neurosurg Spine. 14 (3): 377–81. doi:10.3171/2010.11.spine09718.
Wait, SD; Killory, BD; Lekovic, GP; Dickman, CA (Aug 2010). "Biportal thoracoscopic sympathectomy for palmar hyperhidrosis in adolescents". J Neurosurg Pediatr. 6 (2): 183–7. doi:10.3171/2010.5.peds09225.
Wait, SD; Killory, BD; Lekovic, GP; Ponce, FA; Kenny, KJ; Dickman, CA (Sep 2010). "Thoracoscopic sympathectomy for hyperhidrosis: analysis of 642 procedures with special attention to Horner's syndrome and compensatory hyperhidrosis". Neurosurgery. 67 (3): 652–6. PMID 20647968. doi:10.1227/01.neu.0000374719.32137.bb.
Cavalcanti, DD; Martirosyan, NL; Verma, K; Safavi-Abbasi, S; Porter, RW; Theodore, N; Sonntag, VK; Dickman, CA; Spetzler, RF (May 2011). "Surgical management and outcome of schwannomas in the craniocervical region". J Neurosurg. 114 (5): 1257–67.
Chang, SW; Kakarla, UK; Maughan, PH; DeSanto, J; Fox, D; Theodore, N; Dickman, CA; Papadopoulos, S; Sonntag, VK (Apr 2010). "Four-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with plate fixation: radiographic and clinical results". Neurosurgery. 66 (4): 639–46. doi:10.1227/01.neu.0000367449.60796.94.
Garrett, M; Consiglieri, G; Kakarla, UK; Chang, SW; Dickman, CA (Mar 2010). "Occipitoatlantal dislocation". Neurosurgery. 66 (3 Suppl): 48–55. doi:10.1227/01.neu.0000365802.02410.c5.
Little, AS; Brasiliense, LB; Lazaro, BC; Reyes, PM; Dickman, CA; Crawford, NR (Mar 2010). "Biomechanical comparison of costotransverse process screw fixation and pedicle screw fixation of the upper thoracic spine". Neurosurgery. 66 (3 Suppl): 178–82. PMID 20173568. doi:10.1227/01.neu.0000350869.35779.05.
Horn, EM; Feiz-Erfan, I; Lekovic, GP; Dickman, CA; Sonntag, VK; Theodore, N (Feb 2007). "Survivors of occipitoatlantal dislocation injuries: imaging and clinical correlates". J Neurosurg Spine. 6 (2): 113–20. doi:10.3171/spi.2007.6.2.113.
Espinoza-Larios, A; Ames, CP; Chamberlain, RH; Sonntag, VK; Dickman, CA; Crawford, NR (Mar 2007). "Biomechanical comparison of two-level cervical locking posterior screw/rod and hook/rod techniques". Spine J. 7 (2): 194–204. doi:10.1016/j.spinee.2006.04.015.
