Having performed more meningioma surgeries than any neurosurgeon in the United States, Dr. Aaron Cohen-Gadol has pioneered more than 40 novel surgical techniques designed to maximize tumor removal while preserving the brain regions responsible for movement, speech, vision, and memory.
LOS ANGELES, July 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Patients seeking complex meningioma surgery are increasingly traveling to Los Angeles after being told elsewhere that their tumors are too dangerous to remove completely or that only a partial resection is possible. Many of those patients are turning to Dr. Aaron Cohen-Gadol, an internationally recognized neurosurgeon at the ATLAS Institute of Brain and Spine, whose practice has become a destination for individuals seeking advanced treatment for some of the world’s most challenging brain tumors.
When a meningioma forms along the skull base, wraps around the carotid artery or optic nerve, or presses into the brainstem, surgery becomes exceptionally complex. Increasingly, patients who receive difficult or discouraging recommendations elsewhere are traveling from across the United States and around the world to seek a second opinion and, in many cases, surgery from Dr. Cohen-Gadol.
Meningiomas are the most common primary brain tumor, accounting for approximately one-third of all tumors of the brain and spinal cord. Most are benign and slow growing, making treatment decisions highly individualized. Because many patients can safely undergo observation for years, surgery must be carefully considered. When an operation is recommended, the objective extends beyond removing the tumor. The goal is to achieve the safest and most complete removal possible while preserving the delicate nerves, blood vessels, and brain tissue that control essential neurological function.
Why Patients Travel for This Specialized Meningioma Surgery Expertise
Dr. Cohen-Gadol’s practice draws patients from outside Southern California for reasons that extend well beyond reputation.
- Dr. Cohen-Gadol has performed thousands of meningioma surgeries, more than any neurosurgeon in the United States. For patients with complex meningiomas, where the difference between a complete and partial resection may influence future treatment options, this extraordinary experience provides a level of surgical judgment that is difficult to replicate in lower-volume practices.
- As the founder of the Neurosurgical Atlas, an educational platform used by more than 70,000 physicians and surgeons worldwide, Dr. Cohen-Gadol continuously studies, refines, and teaches the same microsurgical techniques he performs in the operating room.
- He is widely sought for second opinions on skull base meningiomas, deeply situated brain tumors, and posterior fossa meningiomas that have been deemed unresectable or too dangerous for complete removal.
- Dr. Cohen-Gadol is among a select group of neurosurgeons worldwide to receive the Vilhelm Magnus Medal from the Scandinavian Neurosurgical Society, an honor recognizing contributions that have advanced the field of neurosurgery and improved surgical outcomes internationally.
- His practice offers comprehensive remote second-opinion reviews of imaging and medical records, allowing patients and families to determine whether traveling to Los Angeles for evaluation or surgery is appropriate before making travel arrangements.
The Advanced Surgical Techniques Behind the Outcomes
For complex brain tumor surgery, the difference between complete tumor removal and a partial resection often comes down to meticulous surgical planning and refined microsurgical technique. Throughout his career, Dr. Cohen-Gadol has developed and refined approaches designed to maximize tumor removal while minimizing the risks associated with operating near critical brain structures.
- Minimally invasive and endoscopic approaches. Rather than relying solely on traditional large craniotomies, Dr. Cohen-Gadol has pioneered and refined keyhole and endoscopic endonasal approaches that allow carefully selected skull base and midline meningiomas to be reached through the smallest safe surgical corridor, minimizing disruption to surrounding healthy tissue.
- Precision microsurgical dissection around critical structures. For tumors involving the optic nerves, carotid artery, cranial nerves, or brainstem, Dr. Cohen-Gadol employs meticulous microsurgical techniques designed to separate the tumor from these vital structures while preserving neurological function whenever possible.
- Advanced AI-assisted and simulation-based surgical planning. Using sophisticated artificial intelligence technology together with advanced three-dimensional surgical simulation, Dr. Cohen-Gadol evaluates each tumor’s relationship to surrounding nerves, blood vessels, and critical brain structures before entering the operating room. This planning process helps identify the safest surgical corridor, particularly for complex skull base meningiomas where the surgical approach can significantly influence the ability to achieve a complete resection while preserving neurological function.
“Every meningioma presents its own unique challenges,” said Dr. Cohen-Gadol. “These tumors often spend years growing around the nerves and blood vessels responsible for vision, hearing, facial movement, and other critical neurological functions. My goal in every case is to achieve the safest and most complete tumor removal possible while preserving those functions and maintaining my patients’ quality of life. That philosophy has guided the surgical techniques I have spent my career developing and refining.”
A Second Opinion Before Booking a Flight
Dr. Cohen-Gadol performs surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Saint John’s Health Center in Los Angeles, where he leads the ATLAS Institute of Brain and Spine. His practice offers both in-person consultations and virtual second opinions, allowing patients anywhere in the world to have their imaging personally reviewed by Dr. Cohen-Gadol before deciding whether travel for treatment is appropriate.
Patients seeking a second opinion for a newly diagnosed or previously evaluated meningioma, including those who have been told complete removal is not possible, can contact Dr. Cohen-Gadol’s office at (310) 626-1312 or visit https://www.atlasneurosurgeryinstitute.com/ to submit imaging or schedule a consultation.
About Dr. Aaron Cohen-Gadol
Dr. Aaron Cohen-Gadol is an internationally recognized neurosurgeon specializing in complex brain tumors, skull base surgery, cerebrovascular disorders, spinal cord tumors, cavernous malformations, and arteriovenous malformations. He practices in Los Angeles as founder and director of the ATLAS Institute of Brain and Spine.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Cohen-Gadol has performed more meningioma surgeries than any neurosurgeon in the United States and has completed more than 7,500 complex brain surgeries. He has pioneered more than 40 novel surgical techniques, authored more than 600 peer-reviewed publications, received the Vilhelm Magnus Medal from the Scandinavian Neurosurgical Society, and founded the Neurosurgical Atlas, an educational platform used by more than 70,000 physicians and surgeons worldwide.
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SOURCE ATLAS Institute of Brain and Spine