Ahilan Sivaganesan, MD
Assistant Professor, Neurological Surgery
Director of Value Innovation, Neurological Surgery

Contact
909 Walnut Street, 2nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-955-7000
215-503-9170 fax
Ahilan Sivaganesan, MD
Assistant Professor, Neurological Surgery
Director of Value Innovation, Neurological Surgery
Education
Medical School
Baylor College of Medicine
Residency
Neurosurgery: Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Fellowship
Minimally Invasive and Complex Spine Surgery: Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), Memorial Sloan Kettering
Publications
- Practical answers to frequently asked questions in minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery
- Hypoglossal nerve injury with C1 lateral mass screw placement: A case report and review of the literature
- Recovery Kinetics After Commonly Performed Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Procedures
- Rating Spine Surgeons: Physician Review Websites Versus a Patient-reported Outcomes-derived Ranking
- A memorial to Clint Devin: spine surgeon, researcher, and mentor
Hospital Appointments
Jefferson Methodist Hospital
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience
Expertise & Research Interests
Dr. Siva believes that spine surgery should be a last resort. That is why he prides himself on finding non-surgical solutions for patients, whenever possible. If someone does require surgery, however, he offers unique expertise:
MINIMALLY-INVASIVE: He uses small tubes to access the spine, avoiding big scars.
ENDOSCOPIC: He treats certain problems through an incision small enough for a Band-Aid.
MOTION PRESERVATION: He offers alternatives to fusion (such as disc replacement) when possible.
ROBOTIC: He is one of the few surgeons in the region performing robot-assisted spine surgery.
Previously, Dr. Siva was Director of the Spinal Surgery Quality and Outcomes Lab at Vanderbilt. Although he is a neurosurgeon, he received specialized training at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) – the #1 orthopedic hospital in the world. He is an expert in clinical registries and predictive analytics for the outcomes and costs of spine surgery. The aim of his academic work is to quantify, compare, and improve the value of healthcare at scale. He has been asked to give lectures about spine surgery around the world.
Awards
- Resident Leadership and Teaching Award, Vanderbilt Department of Neurological Surgery
- Paper of the Year: Socioeconomics, Health Policy, and Law, Congress of Neurological Surgeons
- Augustus McCravey Resident Award, Southern Neurosurgery Society
- Augustus McCravey Resident Award, Southern Neurosurgery Society
- Resident/Fellow Research Award, North American Spine Society
- Charles Kuntz Scholar Award, AANS/CNS Joint Spine Section