My
primary areas of research interest parallel my primary areas of
patient care interest.
Most prominent among my research interests is Spinal Oncology.
I find primary and metastatic spine tumors to be a challenging
clinical problem with complex and varied clinical solutions that
require a mastery of multiple different treatment modalities.
These can range from the simplest percutaneous outpatient
procedures such as radiofrequency ablation or kyphoplasty to
incredibly complex, several stage, multiple day en-bloc resections of
primary tumors with spine reconstruction.
In addition to this primary research focus, I have tremendous
interest in brain tumor surgery and the care of patients with brain
tumors. These interests
in complex brain and spine tumor care result in the need to innovate
and develop novel surgical techniques to tackle the challenging
problems that my patients present with.
I love to share the details of these novel surgical techniques
with my colleagues through scholarly publications, in case they may be
of benefit to another patient somewhere else in the world.
Following
these three main areas of research interest, a large part of my
practice involves minimally invasive spine surgery.
I am a true believer in the benefits of minimally invasive
spine surgery because of the superior outcomes I have seen in my
patients with the use of these techniques.
Therefore, I pursue research in this area of neurosurgery.
One of my passions is improving patient safety, and this is
also an area of interest for me.
No one
becomes a neurosurgeon if they are not drawn by the desire to care for
trauma patients, and the opportunity to intervene in these critical
life and death situations.
Although not a primary area of research interest for me, I have
published in the area of brain and spine trauma when a particular
topic has piqued my interest or I believe I have developed a new and
better way to treat a problem.
Although
I prefer clinical research to laboratory research, I am very fortunate
to have had the opportunity to participate in all three major
categories of laboratory research within the realm of neurosurgery.
I have participated in biomechanical research, animal research,
and cadaveric dissection-based anatomic research.
Currently I am beginning a bench research project with a
neurosurgical colleague in partnership with one of our microbiologists
at OUWB-SOM.
In the
following pages I highlight my scholarship achievements in each of
these categories. I also
briefly discuss any on-going research in these areas.
Some of the articles may appear in more than one category if
they apply to more than one category.
I have
been honored over the hears to have had four of my publications
featured on the cover of our highest impact journal in the field of
neurosurgery, which is called Journal of Neurosurgery.
I was either the first author or the senior author on all four
of these research publications.
The four articles that have been featured on the cover are as
follows:
Fahim DK, Relyea
K, Nayar VV, Fox BD, Whitehead WE, Curry DJ, Luerssen TG, Jea A.
Transtubular microendoscopic approach for resection of a choroidal
arteriovenous malformation. Journal of neurosurgery. Pediatrics.
02/2009; 3(2): 101-4. 19278307
Fahim DK, Kim
SD, Cho D, Lee S, Kim DH. Avoiding abdominal flank bulge after
anterolateral approaches to the thoracolumbar spine: cadaveric study
and electrophysiological investigation. Journal of neurosurgery.
Spine. 11/2011; 15(5): 532-40. 21819186
Fahim DK, Tatsui
CE, Suki D, Gumin J, Lang FF, Rhines LD. Orthotopic murine model of a
primary malignant bone tumor in the spine: functional,
bioluminescence, and histological correlations. Journal of
neurosurgery. Spine. 09/2014; 21(3): 378-85. 24971476
Sandquist L, Paris A, Fahim DK. Definitive single-stage
posterior surgical correction of complete traumatic spondyloptosis at
the thoracolumbar junction. Journal of neurosurgery. Spine.
06/2015; 22(6): 653-7. 25793470
I have thoroughly enjoyed the fifty research projects that I have
participated in over the past quarter of a century.
Research allows us to ask a question, challenge the status quo,
advance our knowledge, and improve the care and outcomes of our
patients. I particularly enjoying collaborating with colleagues on
research projects as we always bring different perspectives to the
question at hand.