Neurosurgery
GMC: 4011040
Professor Keyoumars Ashkan MBE is a leading neurosurgeon and one of the handful of neurosurgeons in London to be awarded a professorship. He practices at various top London clinics and hospitals including King's College Hospital, the London Neurosurgery Partnership, Harley Street Clinic, Cromwell Hospital and New Malden Diagnostic Centre. He has a special interest in functional neurosurgery; image-guided minimally invasive surgery; spine disease; and brain and spinal tumour surgery. He is actively involved in research, especially in developing new treatments for brain tumours and for Parkinson's disease. He is the UK Lead for the Genomics England programme for brain tumours; president of the British Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery; chairman of the Neurosurgery Section of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society, chair of King's Neuroscience Clinical Trial Unit; and deputy lead for King's Neuroscience Research & Innovation Committee. He has published over 850 peer review papers, abstracts and book chapters and is an associate editor and reviewer for several journals. His surgery to remove a brain tumour while the patient remained awake to play the violin attracted worldwide attnetion. Professor Ashkan has been awarded numerous prestigious fellowships and prizes including being awarded an MBE in the 2025 New Year's Honours List for service to Neurosurgery. He also plays an integral role in a myriad professional bodies.
The removal of a brain tumour is incredibly complex, particularly due to the necessity of checking that the brain isn't damaged during the tumour's removal. For Ms Dagmar, a professional violinist, it was essential that she kept her ability to play her violin, so she performed during her brain surgery. Learn about brain tumours, their removal and this remarkable surgery performed by Professor Ashkan and his team.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurological condition caused by a lack of dopamine in the substantia nigra (this is in the mid-brain and is responsible for producing dopamine). It affects more than 4.5 million people worldwide. Professor Ashkan tells us more about this disease.
Some people may experience extreme stabbing or an electric-shock type of pain at the throat, tongue, tonsil and ears. This condition is known as glossopharyngeal neuralgia. We've asked one of our top neurosurgeons Professor Keyoumars Ashkan to explain how the condition is treated.
Awake brain surgery is a surgical procedure carried out on the brain whilst the patient is awake and conscious. This procedure is used when surgery is being performed close to part of the brain that controls speech and motor functions. Professor Keyoumars Ashkan, a leading neurosurgeon at the London Neurosurgery Partnership, explains how awake brain surgery is performed, the risks involved and what the recovery period looks like following this complex and remarkable procedure.
Top Doctor Keyoumars Ashkan talks about the fascinating world of functional surgery, in particular, functional neurosurgery, that alters the function of nerve tissue in the brain, spinal cord and nervous system.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation is used across medical specialties in both the treatment and diagnosis of neurological conditions. Here, we explain how it works, and what it can be used for.
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