Al-Wala Awad, M.D.

Fellowship-Trained and Board-Certified Neurosurgeon Specializing in Neuroendovascular and General Neurosurgery.

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Neurosurgical Specialties

My practice has a focus on blending microsurgical techniques with the most cutting-edge technologies, with an emphasis on minimally-invasive approaches, to deliver the best possible outcomes.

Neuroendovascular: Cerebral Aneurysms, Stroke, Carotid Stenosis, Dural AV Fistulas, Arteriovenous Malformations (AVMs), Subdural Hemorrhage

Cranial: Brain Tumors, Brain Metastasis, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Endoscopic Endonasal Approach to Pituitary Tumors, Gamma Knife Radiosurgery

Spine: Motion Preserving Spine Surgery, Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, Artificial Disc Replacement, Cervical Disc Replacement, Lumbar Disc Replacement, Spinal Trauma, Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease, Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease

 

Locations

HCA HealthONE Mountain Ridge
HCA HealthONE Swedish
HCA HealthONE Sky Ridge
HCA HealthONE Aurora
Synergy Surgery Center

“I believe in a thorough approach to patient health care with an emphasis in patient education. I take the time to review all imaging and diagnostic results with my patients to empower them to be actively involved in treatment decisions.”

 

About Dr. Awad

Dr. Awad is a fellowship trained endovascular neurological surgeon. He completed his medical school training at the University of Arizona in Phoenix, AZ where he was raised. After developing an interest in neuroanatomy and physiology he pursued and completed his neurological surgery training at the University of Utah where he also completed a fellowship in Cerebrovascular and Endovascular Surgery. He then completed a second year of Cerebrovascular and Endovascular Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL.

Dr. Awad is passionate about cerebrovascular disease including cerebral aneurysms, AVMs, cavernous malformation, and dural AV fistulas. He is trained in the latest minimal invasive endovascular treatments including endovascular stent coiling, carotid stenting, flow diversion, and embolization. He also maintains a robust practice in brain and spinal tumors (meningiomas, gliomas, pituitary adenoma, and metastatic disease) as well as degenerative spinal disease. Dr Awad is a board certified by the American Board of Neurologic Surgeons 2025.

 
 

 More About Dr. Awad

Fellowship Trained >

University of Utah, Department of Neurosurgery, Neuroendovascular Fellowship
Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Deparment of Neurosurgery, Neuroendovascular Fellowship

Memberships >

American Association of Neurological Surgeons

Awards >

2014 Barrow Neurological Institute Research Fellowship, Barrow Neurological Foundation
2011 Medical Student Summer Research Fellowship, American Association of Neurological Surgeons
2007 Maroon and Gold Full Tuition Scholarship, Arizona State University

Publications >

  1. Ravindra VM, Karas PJ, Lazaro TT, Coorg R, Awad AW, Patino I, et al. Epilepsy Surgery in Young Children With Tuberous Sclerosis Complex: A Novel Hybrid Multimodal Surgical Approach. Neurosurgery. 2023 Feb 1;92(2):398–406.
  2. Rennert, R. C., Budohoski, K. P., Awad, A.-W., Karsy, M. & Couldwell, W. T. Transnasal Resection of an Adrenocorticotropic Hormone–Secreting Adenoma and Clipping of a Paraclinoid Aneurysm: Two-Dimensional Operative Video. World Neurosurgery 167, 56 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2022.08.106
  3. Adam de Havenon, Kole Mickolio, Steven O’Donnell, Greg Stoddard, J Scott McNally, Matthew Alexander, Philipp Taussky, Al-Wala Awad. Predicting neuroimaging eligibility for extended-window endovascular thrombectomy. Journal of Neurosurgery. Published online February 2021:1-5. doi:10.3171/2020.8.JNS20386
  4. Vijay M. Ravindra, MD, MSPH1,2,10, Matthew Alexander, MD, Philipp Taussky, MD1, Robert J. Bollo, MD, Ameer E. Hassan, DO4, Jonathan P. Scoville, MD1, Julius Griauzde, MD5, Al-Wala Awad, MD, Mouhammad Jumaa, MD6, Syed Zaidi, MD6, Jonathan Lee, MD7, Muhammad Ubaid Hafeez, MD8, Fábio A. Nascimento, MD8, Melissa A. LoPresti, MD, William T. Couldwell, MD, PhD1, Steven Hetts, MD9, Sandi K. Lam, MD2, Peter Kan, MD, Ramesh Grandhi, MD “Endovascular Thrombectomy for Pediatric Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Multi-Institutional Experience of Technical and Clinical Outcomes” Neurosurgery 2021
  5. Vijay Ravindra MD, Robert Bollo MD, Michael Dewan MD, Jay Riva-Cambrin MD, Daniel Tonetti MD, Al-Wala Awad MD, S. Hassan Akbari MD, Mr. Stephen Gannon MD, Chevis Shannon MD, Ms. Yekaterina Birkas MD, David Limbrick MD, Andrew Jea MD, Robert Naftel MD, John Kestle MD “Comparison of Anticoagulation and Antiplatelet Therapy for Treatment of Blunt Cerebrovascular Injury in Children <10 data-preserve-html-node="true" Years of Age: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study” Child's Nervous System 2021
  6. Ravindra VM, Iyer RR, Awad A-W, Bollo RJ, Zhu H, Brockmeyer DL. Defining the role of the condylar–C2 sagittal vertical alignment in Chiari malformation type I. Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics. 2020;26(4):439-444. doi:10.3171/2020.4.PEDS20113
  7. Awad A-W, Kilburg C, Ravindra VM, Scoville J, Joyce E, Grandhi R, et al: Predicting Death After Thrombectomy in the Treatment of Acute Stroke. Front Surg 7:16, 2020
  8. Kundu B, Awad A-W, Park MS, Grandhi R, Enniss T, Hawryluk GWJ: Characterization of Focal Brain Tissue Water Measurements in Human Traumatic Brain Injury. World Neurosurg:2019
  9. Awad A-W, Kilburg C, Karsy M, Couldwell WT, Taussky P. Change in the angle of the anterior genu is associated with occlusion rate after Pipeline flow diversion. Journal of Neurosurgery. Published online January 2019:1-5. doi:10.3171/2018.9.JNS18726
  10. Awad A-W, Karsy M, Jensen M, et al. EQ-5D Quality-of-Life Analysis and Costeffectiveness after Skull Base Meningioma Resection. In: Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek Orlando, Florida; 2019:s-0039-1679527. doi:10.1055/s-0039-1679527
  11. Abou-Al-Shaar H, Awad A-W, Mahan MA. Bilateral Suprascapular Nerve Injury and Novel Technique of Nerve Transfers for Restoration of External Rotation: Case Report. Operative Neurosurgery. June 2019:opz169. doi:10.1093/ons/opz169
  12. Yoon NK, Awad A-W, Gee JM, Taussky P. Ruptured Persistent Trigeminal Artery Causing Direct Cavernous Sinus Fistula Treated with Pipeline Embolization and Minimal Coiling. World neurosurgery. 2018;109:471–475.
  13. Xu DS, Awad A-W, Mehalechko C, et al. An extent of resection threshold for seizure freedom in patients with low-grade gliomas. Journal of neurosurgery. 2018;128(4):1084–1090.
  14. Yoon NK, Awad A-W, Kalani MYS, Taussky P, Park MS. Stent technology in ischemic stroke. Neurosurgical focus. 2017;42(4):E11.
  15. Awad A-W, Moon K, Yoon N, et al. Flow diversion of tandem cerebral aneurysms: a multiinstitutional retrospective study. Neurosurgical focus. 2017;42(6):E10.
  16. Awad A-W, Karsy M, Sanai N, et al. Impact of removed tumor volume and location on patient outcome in glioblastoma. Journal of neuro-oncology. 2017;135(1):161–171.
  17. Zaidi HA, Awad A-W, Dickman CA. Complete Spondylectomy Using Orthogonal Spinal Fixation and Combined Anterior and Posterior Approaches for Thoracolumbar Spinal Reconstruction: Technical Nuances and Clinical Results. Clin Spine Surg. July 2016. doi:10.1097/BSD.0000000000000292
  18. Zaidi HA, Awad A-W, Bohl MA, et al. Comparison of outcomes between a less experienced surgeon using a fully endoscopic technique and a very experienced surgeon using a microscopic transsphenoidal technique for pituitary adenoma. J Neurosurg. 2016;124(3):596-604. doi:10.3171/2015.4.JNS15102
  19. Snyder LA, Martinez-Del-Campo E, Neal MT, et al. Lumbar Spinal Fixation with Cortical Bone Trajectory Pedicle Screws in 79 Patients with Degenerative Disease: Perioperative Outcomes and Complications. World Neurosurg. 2016;88:205-213. doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2015.12.065
  20. Ravindra VM, Brock A, Awad A-W, Kalra R, Schmidt MH. The role of the mini-open thoracoscopic-assisted approach in the management of metastatic spine disease at the thoracolumbar junction. Neurosurg Focus. 2016;41(2):E16. doi:10.3171/2016.5.FOCUS16162
  21. Awad A-W, Zaidi HA, Awad A-H, Spetzler R. Long-term Survival after Resection of HER2+ Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma Metastasis to the Brainstem. Cureus. 2016;8(1):e462. doi:10.7759/cureus.462
  22. Awad A-W, Almefty KK, Ducruet AF, et al. The efficacy and risks of preoperative embolization of spinal tumors. J Neurointerv Surg. 2016;8(8):859-864. doi:10.1136/neurintsurg-2015-011833
  23. Zaidi H, Bohl M, Awad A-W, et al. 134 Comparison of Extent of Tumor Resection and Endocrine Outcomes for Nonfunctioning Pituitary Adenomas of a Less Experienced Surgeon Using a Fully Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Surgery Technique to a Very Experienced Surgeon Using a Microscopic Transsphenoidal Surgical Technique: Neurosurgery. 2015;62:208-209. doi:10.1227/01.neu.0000467096.99311.6c
  24. Zaidi HA, Awad A-W, Chowdhry SA, Fusco D, Nakaji P, Spetzler RF. Microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm secondary to vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia: surgical strategies, technical nuances and clinical outcomes. J Clin Neurosci. 2015;22(1):62-68. doi:10.1016/j.jocn.2014.09.008
  25. Awad A-W, Hardesty DA, Tomei K, Bhardwaj RD. Paraplegia induced by mild trauma in a child with thoracic spinal arachnoid cyst. Journal of Pediatric Surgery Case Reports. 2014;2(7):355-359. doi:10.1016/j.epsc.2014.07.006
  26. Awad A-W, Bhardwaj R. Acute posttraumatic pediatric cerebral venous thrombosis: Case report and review of literature. Surgical Neurology International. 2014;5(1):53. doi:10.4103/2152-7806.130908
  27. Awad A-W, Aleck KA, Bhardwaj RD. Concomitant achondroplasia and Chiari II malformation: A double-hit at the cervicomedullary junction. World J Clin Cases. 2014;2(11):711-716. doi:10.12998/wjcc.v2.i11.711
  28. Wilson DA, Awad A-W, Brachman D, et al. Long-term radiosurgical control of subtotally resected adult pineocytomas. J Neurosurg. 2012;117(2):212-217. doi:10.3171/2012.5.JNS1251
  29. Alderazi YJ, Chang J, Yang JP, Awad A-W . Impact of Protocol Deviations in Acute Ischemic Stroke Treated With Intravenous rt-PA Within 4.5 Hours After Symptom Onset. Neurohospitalist. 2012;2(3):82-86. doi:10.1177/1941874412441802

Book Chapters >

  1. Awad AW, Raheja A, Couldwell WT. Pituitary Tumor Surgery. Controversies in Neurodendoscopy. 2018
  2. Awad AW, Ramesh Grandhi. Case Based Interventional Neuroradiology 2nd Ed. Hemorrhagic dissections treated with Flow diversion. 2021

Education and Training >

Residency:
University of Utah, Department of Neurosurgery
Medical School:
University of Arizona, College of Medicine-Phoenix
Bachelors:
Arizona State University, BioDesign Institute Center of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology