Izabela Tarasiewicz, MD

I was born in Poland, grew up in Canada, and attended school in Canada, France, and the United States. In 1993, I earned my Baccalaureat Francais with highest honors (Mention Tres Bien) from Lycée Privé Saint-Paul in Lille, France. Less than 3% of students taking the French national examinations receive this distinction. In 1999, I obtained my medical degree from Université de Sherbrooke in Quebec, Canada and completed my neurosurgery training at Université Laval in Quebec City six years later. From 2006 until 2007, I pursued a postgraduate fellowship in pediatric neurosurgery at Children’s Memorial Hospital (now Lurie Children’s Hospital), which is affiliated with Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. I have been an assistant professor since 2007, when I began teaching at the University of Vermont and, subsequently, at the University of Connecticut. In February 2015, I became an associate professor of neurosurgery for the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA). I am board-certified in general/adult neurosurgery by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (FRCSC) and the American Board of Pediatric Neurosurgery (ABPNS). Fewer than 200 doctors in North America can claim such an accomplishment. In San Antonio, I am one of two physicians who hold both of these certifications. As an educator, I relish any opportunity I have to teach, whether it be at the residency program level or the medical student level (UVM 2008-2012). I have taught at mid-level provider academic programs, AANS-sponsored courses, and ATLS-sponsored courses. As the director of undergraduate medical education, I have designed the neurosurgery rotation curriculum for 3rd and 4th year medical students. I also serve as the faculty mentor for the AANS Medical Student Chapter at UTHSCSA, which enables me to provide guidance to medical students by organizing and supervising their monthly meetings. On a daily basis, I strive to teach medical students, mid level providers and residents. As the only pediatric neurosurgeon at UTHSCSA, I have dedicated myself to the task of designing a strong neurosurgical program. With this goal in mind, I’ve emphasized the development of treatment, protocols, and research related to traumatic brain injuries, tethered cords, spasticity, craniofacial conditions, and congenital conditions. I am also trying to build cohesive multidisciplinary clinics. In order to provide the best quality care to my patients, I have collaborated on several projects designed to improve patient care and outcomes at UTHSCSA. Examples of such work can be summarized in the multiple protocols I have designed and implemented throughout the UT and Baptist system to optimize care and safety for pediatric patients requiring neurosurgical, trauma, NICU, or PICU services: the Non-Accidental Trauma (NAT) protocol, which was subsequently adopted hospital-wide, the severe traumatic brain injury protocol, the cervical clearance protocol, the seizure prophylaxis in traumatic brain injury protocol, the seizure prophylaxis in grade 3-4 IVH protocol, and the post-decompressive craniotomy bone flap-handling protocol. My collaboration with trauma specialists resulted in the development of a pediatric cervical spine clearance protocol, a seizure prophylaxis protocol for traumatic brain injuries, and a treatment algorithm for severe traumatic brain injuries for PICU patients, which was designed to help physicians safely and efficiently treat pediatric trauma cases. I am a service-oriented physician with a great passion for international medical relief. I am also the director of medical missions in the Department of Neurosurgery at UTHSCSA. One of my long-term service goals is the establishment of a volunteer-driven program capable of performing neurosurgical procedures for children in underprivileged regions of the world. To accomplish this, I have started working closely with programs like Project Medishare for Haiti. I volunteered my time and expertise by performing neurosurgical procedures, such as endoscopic third ventriculostomies and spinal dysraphism repair. I am currently involved in the development of a training program that would enable me to provide direct mentorship and guidance to both adult and pediatric neurosurgery trainees in Haiti. My skill set encompasses all aspects of pediatric neurosurgery, but my research interests focus on the management of spinal dysraphism/tethered cords and the optimal timing of intervention. I work in collaboration with Dr. Mark Miller, a pediatric maxillofacial surgeon, to offer cutting edge craniosynostosis surgery options. We provide minimally invasive endoscopic surgeries for simple and complex younger patients with craniosynostosis. For older patients and more complex cases, we offer open procedures using VSP virtual surgical planning technology to obtain very accurate and predictable surgical results. We also offer distraction ostéotomies. One of my foremost research goals is to redefine the standard of care for children afflicted with tethered spinal cord syndrome in relation to their urological function. I strongly believe that we can serve complex patient populations and advance their care by focusing on the creation of clinics that foster inclusivity and encourage collaboration by promoting a multidisciplinary approach to treatment. One of the main reasons why I was hired at UTHSCSA was specifically to share my expertise in this area. Throughout my career, I have always been an active contributor to scholarly publications. I continue to work with pediatric urology specialists on a collaborative research project that explores preoperative urodynamic studies in the tethered cord patient population. I am fluent in English, French and Polish and hold American, Canadian, and Polish citizenships. I am also a member of the following organizations: the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery, the American Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the Texas Association of Neurological Surgeons.