Vanessa Christine Milano, MD

Vanessa Milano, M.D., is a board-eligible neurosurgeon with fellowship training in stereotactic and functional neurosurgery. Dr. Milano specializes in the treatment of epilepsy, movement disorders such as essential tremor, Parkinson’s disease and dystonia, trigeminal neuralgia, traumatic brain injuries, brain tumors, spinal disorders, and chronic pain. 

Procedures and treatments performed by Dr. Milano include open epilepsy surgery (including temporal lobectomy, amygdalohippocampectomy), vagal nerve stimulation, invasive epilepsy monitoring (SEEG, depth electrodes, subdural grids and strips), deep brain stimulation (DBS), spinal cord stimulation, microvascular decompression, percutaneous trigeminal rhizotomy, peripheral nerve field stimulation, stereotactic brain lesioning and biopsy, laser interstitial thermal therapy, gamma knife radiosurgery, and focused ultrasound. 

After completing medical school at the University of Texas, Dr. Milano moved to the tristate area to complete her neurosurgery residency at the University of Rochester Medical Center. During her residency she received two Strong Star awards in recognition of her exceptional patient care and clinical teamwork. Dr. Milano then completed a research fellowship and clinical fellowship in stereotactic and functional neurosurgery at Toronto Western Hospital in Ontario, Canada. Additionally, she formerly participated in clinical trials for focused ultrasound for bilateral essential tremor (BEST), DBS of the fornix for mild Alzheimer’s disease (aDvance II), and DBS of the cerebellum for ataxia. 

Dr. Milano decided to pursue a career in medicine because of her fascination with the complicated, multifaceted ballet that is the human body, along with her passion for science fiction. Her decision to narrow down her studies to neurology and functional neurosurgery was a “no brainer”, as the subspecialty is young with a lot of potential and allows her to help others while solving physical and spatial problems. Dr. Milano’s passion, expert training, and access to a network of world-class physicians at Hackensack Meridian Health allow her to provide excellent care to her patients.

As part of the multidisciplinary team at the Brain and Spine Tumor Program at JFK University Medical Center, Dr. Milano works alongside neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, medical neuro-oncologists, neuro-pathologists, and neuro-radiologists utilizing innovative new treatments to provide comprehensive patient and family-centered care.

The Spine Care Program at JFK University Medical Center treats all aspects of spinal cord injury and related complications. Here, Dr. Milano joins a team of spine specialists collaborating with neurosurgeons, pain medicine physicians, physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists and radiologists to determine the most appropriate plan of care for patients and their families.