Ignacio J. Barrenechea, Neurosurgeon, MD, IFAANS
Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
Chairman. Neurosurgery Department. Hospital Privado de Rosario. Santa Fe, Argentina.
International Member of "American Association of Neurological Surgeons"; Rolling Meadows, IL, EEUU
Dr. Barrenechea is a general neurosurgeon with an extensive academic background. He received both brain and spine training in Buenos Aires and New York. He has also published several landmark papers in international journals, three of them having being selected for the cover. He currently is the Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at the “Rosario Private Hospital”, where he runs the “Neuroncology Unit”. He also is a board member of the Argentinean Association of Neurosurgery and International Fellow of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.
Abbreviated Curriculum Vitae
In 1997, the “Universidad Nacional de Rosario” (National University of Rosario) awarded Dr. Barrenechea the Honor Diploma in recognition of his outstanding career. Following his residency at the Hospital General de Agudos Dr. Cosme Argerich (official Neurosurgery Department of Buenos Aires and Maimónides Universities), he was appointed chief resident for two years.
After obtaining his Medical Doctor (MD) degree in Philadelphia in 2003, he continued his training in 2004 at the St. Luke’s/Roosevelt Hospital Center, University Hospital of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, in New York City. He worked and trained there for 27 months, where he completed a Neurosurgery fellowship.
During his stay in the United States, Dr. Barrenechea published several seminal papers in neurosurgery journals and made a series of presentations at international congresses. Also, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons appointed him faculty member for one of its pre-congress courses in 2006.
He returned to Argentina in 2006, where he has been teaching faculty in several brain and spine cadaver labs, both in the university of Buenos Aires and Rosario. He is currently the Neurosurgery Department Chairman at the Rosario Private Hospital (link), where he also runs the "Neuroncology Unit". He also is a board member of the Argentinean Association of Neurosurgery and International Fellow of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Finally, from 2018, he is the Neuro Education Officer at AOSPINE Argentina.
Featured Papers & Articles
Temporal hollowing is a common cosmetic complication following pterional craniotomies. To address this issue, we evaluated the efficacy of anterior rotation of the temporalis muscle at closure. Although this technique is not new and has been generally reported, no research studies have been conducted to evaluate its objective and patient-reported outcomes in the long term.
Because laminectomy has been shown to predispose patients to kyphosis, laminoplasty and hemilaminectomy are the most widely used approaches to preserve the posterior tension band (PTB). However, these techniques are not devoid of complications. To overcome these issues, the authors modified a previously described technique to preserve the PTB while removing various types of intradural lesions.
DVA-associated hemorrhage within the CST could be safely removed with modern awake mapping techniques. This technique allowed the patient to rapidly improve his hand function. Small venous channels found inside the hematoma cavity could be coagulated without signs of ischemia or venous infarction.
Micromirrors proved to be useful in enhancing the visualization of neurovascular structures and pathology residuals within deep-seated surgical fields without the need for fixed brain retraction. Their cost-effectiveness and easy learning curve constitute solid reasons for advocating a revitalization of this “old but gold” tool in neurosurgery.
Split‐type C1 lateral mass fractures have a propensity for progressive fracture displacement. Since almost all cases end up showing progressive fragment diastasis, many authors recommend early surgical treatment. However, placing a C1 lag screw through a C1 split fracture is a challenging task.
Optic nerve mobilization after optic foraminotomy proved to be a safe and relatively easy technique for exposing and treating superior carotideophthalmic aneurysms.
Barrenechea IJ, Marquez LM, Pastor M. Use of Saito technique to resect an anterior lumbar spine meningioma: Technical note. Surg Neurol Int 2021;12:276.
Barrenechea IJ, Márquez L, Miralles S, Baldoncini M, Peralta S. An alternative path to atrial lesions through a contralateral interhemispheric transfalcine transcingular infra-precuneus approach: A case report. Surg Neurol Int 2020;11:407.
Surgery of the cervical spine under conscious sedation has been rarely reported in the literature. The main indications are the lack of neurophysiological monitoring and surgery in patients with high cardiovascular risk. To date, no reports of awake C1–2 instrumentation have been published in the English-language literature.
Ignacio J. Barrenechea, Héctor Rojas, Marco Nicola, Luis Marquez, Roberto Herrera, Facundo Van Isseldyk. A novel temporary cranial fixation device for awake cranial surgery: Technical report of 14 cases.
RANC, nota de tapa | Ignacio J. Barrenechea, Carlos A. Bozzetti, Juan Manuel Lazarte, Néstor Yunis
Surgical Neurology International | Alvaro Campero, Isabel Cuervo‑Arango Herreros, Ignacio Barrenechea, Germán Andjel, Pablo Ajler, Albert Rhoton
Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine | Daniel S. Yanni, M.D., SeDat Ulkatan, M.D., VeDran DeletiS, M.D., Ignacio J. Barrenechea, M.D., chanDranath Sen, M.D., anD noel i. Perin, M.D., F.r.c.S.eD. Utility of neurophysiological monitoring using dorsal column mapping in intramedullary spinal cord surgery. Clinical article.
Neurosurgery | Barrenechea, Ignacio J. M.D.; Chwajol, Mark M.D.; Chakraborty, Shamik M.D.; Lesser, Jonathan B. M.D.; Connery, Cliff P. M.D.; Perin, Noel I. M.D., Impact of Compensatory Hyperhidrosis on Patient Satisfaction after Endoscopic Thoracic Smypathectomy. Neurosurgery 64:511–518, 2009
Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine | Ignacio J. Barrenechea, MD., Noel I. Perin,M.D., F.R.C.S.(edin), Aymara Triana, MD., Jonathan Lesser, MD, Peter Costantino, m.d., and Chandranath Sen, MD. Surgical management of chordomas of the cervical spine. J Neurosurg Spine 6:398–406, 2007
Neurosurgery | Barrenechea, Ignacio J. M.D.; Fukumoto, Royd M.D.; Lesser, Jonathan B. M.D.; Ewing, Douglas R. M.D.; Connery, Cliff P. M.D.; Perin, Noel I. M.D., F.R.C.S. (Ed.). Endoscopic resection of thoracic paravertebral and dumbbell tumors. Neurosurgery. 59(6):1195-1202, December 2006.
Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine | Ignacio J. Barrenechea, M.D., Jonathan B. Lesser, M.D., Alberto l. Gidekel, M.D., Leon Turjanski, M.D., and Noel I. Perin, M.D., F.R.C.S.(ed). Diagnosis and Treatment of spinal cord herniation: a combined experience. J Neurosurg Spine 5:294ˆ302, 2006.
Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine | Shin H, Barrenechea IJ, Lesser J, Sen C, Perin NI. Occipitocervical fusion after resection of craniovertebral junction tumors.. J Neurosurg Spine. 2006 Feb;4(2):137-44