About the Institute

At SIMS Hospital, Chennai, the Institute of Neurosciences is more than a department, it is a destination where patients with the most complex neurological and neurosurgical conditions come to find answers, and more importantly, hope. Ranked consistently among the Top 5 Neurosciences centres in India by India Today and Times of India for seven consecutive years, the institute has built its reputation not on numbers alone, but on a genuine commitment to doing what is right for every patient who walks through its doors.

What makes SIMS Neurosciences truly different is its people and its culture. Six dedicated consultant neuroscientists, neurosurgeons, neurologists, and interventional specialists, work as a real team, not in silos. Complex cases go to a multidisciplinary tumour board. Difficult decisions are made together. This collaborative, patient-first approach, rare in corporate healthcare, is something patients and families consistently notice and value.

The institute performs over 900 neurosurgeries every year, including more than 100 endoscopic skull base procedures, 60 or more vestibular schwannoma surgeries with a facial nerve preservation rate exceeding 90%, and 60 to 70 pituitary surgeries annually. Behind every one of those numbers is a patient who trusted SIMS with something irreplaceable. That trust is taken seriously, in every operating theatre, every ICU bed, and every consultation room across the institute.

From pioneering the first awake microvascular decompression (MVD) in India to being among the first hospitals in the country to deploy the RapidAI stroke platform in clinical practice, SIMS Institute of Neurosciences continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in brain and spine care, not for recognition, but because patients deserve nothing less.

Key Highlights

• Ranked Top 5 Neurosciences Centre in India, India Today & Times of India, seven consecutive years since 2017

• 900+ neurosurgeries performed per year by a high-volume, experienced surgical team

• 100+ endoscopic skull base surgeries per year, among the highest volumes in India

• 60+ vestibular schwannoma surgeries per year with greater than 90% facial nerve preservation rate

• 60–70 pituitary and sellar region surgeries per year

• 300+ IONM cases per year with a full in-house, physician-led neurophysiological monitoring team

• First in India, Awake Microvascular Decompression (MVD) for hemifacial spasm and trigeminal neuralgia

• Among the first hospitals in India to deploy RapidAI AI-powered stroke imaging in clinical practice

• WEB Device (Woven EndoBridge) endovascular aneurysm treatment, advanced non-coiling, non-clipping alternative

• 8 dedicated Neuro ICU beds for post-surgical and neurocritical care

• 128-channel video EEG epilepsy monitoring unit for refractory epilepsy evaluation and surgical cure

• DNB Neurosurgery and Fellowship training programmes, recognised academic centre of excellence

• Host of National Skull Base Conference 2025

• NABH accredited with significant international patient referral volume

• 6 dedicated consultant neuroscientists working in a truly collaborative, multidisciplinary team model

Comprehensive Services

• Vestibular Schwannoma Surgery- SIMS is one of the highest-volume vestibular schwannoma surgery centres in India, achieving facial nerve preservation in more than 90% of cases through Facial MEP-guided intraoperative monitoring. Even patients with complex Koos Grade IV tumours and significant cerebellopontine angle involvement are managed with the precision and care they deserve.
• Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery – Complex skull base tumours that were once considered inoperable are now routinely managed at SIMS through advanced endoscopic techniques. With over 100 procedures a year including multi-stage resections, CSF leak repair, and orbital procedures, the team's experience speaks for itself, supported by image-guided navigation for the highest levels of surgical precision.
• Pituitary & Sellar Region Surgery – The pituitary surgery programme at SIMS manages 60 to 70 cases every year through endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery, covering pituitary adenomas, craniopharyngiomas, and other sellar and parasellar lesions. Patients benefit from a team that has seen and handled the full spectrum of pituitary pathology.
• Hemifacial Spasm & Trigeminal Neuralgia, Microvascular Decompression (MVD) – SIMS is the pioneer centre for awake MVD in India, the first of its kind in the country. For patients who have lived with the distressing symptoms of hemifacial spasm or trigeminal neuralgia, this procedure offers the possibility of a genuine, lasting surgical cure.
• Awake Craniotomy & Brain Mapping – When a tumour sits close to the areas of the brain responsible for movement, speech, or memory, removing it safely requires more than surgical skill, it requires the patient to be awake and communicating during surgery. SIMS has the expertise, the team, and the experience to perform awake craniotomy with intraoperative cortical and subcortical mapping safely and effectively.
• Cerebrovascular & Moyamoya Surgery – From brain aneurysm clipping and AVM surgery to the highly specialised STA-MCA bypass for Moyamoya disease, the cerebrovascular surgery programme at SIMS handles some of the most technically demanding procedures in neurosurgery. Patients with rare and complex cerebrovascular conditions are referred here from across India and internationally.
• Image-Guided & Neuronavigation Surgery – Advanced neuronavigation systems give SIMS surgeons real-time anatomical guidance during tumour resection, skull base surgery, and biopsy procedures, maximising surgical precision and minimising the risk of unintended injury to surrounding structures.
• 5-ALA Fluorescence-Guided Glioma Surgery – For patients with high-grade gliomas, every millimetre of tumour removed matters. SIMS uses 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) fluorescence technology to make tumour tissue glow under surgical lighting, helping surgeons achieve the most complete resection possible while protecting healthy brain.
• Endoscopic Spine Surgery – Minimally invasive endoscopic spine surgery at SIMS offers patients with disc herniations, spinal stenosis, and spinal tumours an effective surgical option with smaller incisions, less post-operative pain, and a much faster return to normal life compared to conventional open spine surgery.
• Complex Paediatric Neurosurgery – Children with brain tumours, hydrocephalus, spinal cord malformations, and craniosynostosis need specialists who understand not just the neurosurgery, but the unique vulnerabilities and developmental needs of a young patient. SIMS has a dedicated paediatric neurosurgery programme that treats every child with the expertise and gentleness they deserve.
• Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) & Epilepsy Surgery – For patients whose Parkinson's disease or refractory epilepsy has not responded adequately to medication, surgery can be life-changing. The functional neurosurgery programme at SIMS offers DBS for movement disorders and surgical epilepsy treatment, supported by the 128-channel video EEG monitoring unit for precise pre-surgical planning.
• Comprehensive Stroke Programme – Stroke is a medical emergency where every minute of delay costs brain tissue. SIMS runs a 24/7 acute stroke programme with emergency protocols, RapidAI-powered automated imaging analysis for instant treatment decision support, thrombolysis, and mechanical thrombectomy — ensuring the fastest possible time from door to treatment for every stroke patient.
• Interventional Neurology & Endovascular Surgery – Not every brain condition requires open surgery. SIMS offers the full range of endovascular neurology services including mechanical thrombectomy, coil embolisation, flow diversion, and the WEB Device (Woven EndoBridge) for intracranial aneurysm treatment giving patients less invasive, equally effective alternatives for complex neurovascular conditions.
• Epilepsy Monitoring Unit – Living with uncontrolled seizures is exhausting and frightening. The SIMS 128-channel video EEG epilepsy monitoring unit precisely localises seizure activity, enables detailed pre-surgical evaluation, and opens the door to surgical cure for patients with drug-resistant, refractory epilepsy who have run out of medical options.
• Neuro-Immunology & Demyelinating Diseases – Conditions like multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, and autoimmune encephalitis require specialist expertise and access to the latest disease-modifying therapies. The neuro-immunology programme at SIMS provides both, in a supportive environment that understands the long-term nature of these conditions.
• Movement Disorders & Functional Neurology – Whether it is Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, or dystonia, the movement disorders clinic at SIMS offers personalised management through pharmacotherapy, botulinum toxin injections, and deep brain stimulation, helping patients maintain independence and quality of life for as long as possible.
• Headache & Pain Management Clinic – Chronic headache and neuropathic pain can be profoundly disabling. The dedicated headache and pain clinic at SIMS offers expert evaluation and both pharmacological and interventional treatment options for migraine, cluster headache, trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias, and persistent neuropathic pain conditions.
• Neurocritical Care – Recovery from complex brain and spine surgery, or from a serious neurological emergency, requires intensive specialist monitoring. The SIMS Neuro ICU, with 8 dedicated beds and continuous neurological and haemodynamic monitoring, ensures that the most critical patients receive the level of care their condition demands.

Advanced Diagnostic & Treatment Facilities

Neuroimaging & Neuronavigation

• High-resolution MRI brain and spine with advanced sequences including functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and MR spectroscopy for detailed tumour and connectivity mapping

• CT brain, CT angiography, and CT perfusion for acute stroke assessment and cerebrovascular evaluation

• PET-CT for brain tumour characterisation, epilepsy focus localisation, and neuro-oncology staging

• Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for cerebrovascular mapping and endovascular intervention planning

• Intraoperative image-guided neuronavigation for real-time surgical precision

• RapidAI AI-powered automated stroke imaging analysis platform among the first deployed in clinical practice in India

Neurophysiology & Monitoring

• 128-channel video EEG epilepsy monitoring unit for long-term seizure recording and pre-surgical evaluation

• 24-hour EEG laboratory for ambulatory and inpatient neurophysiological monitoring

• Full IONM modality suite: Facial MEP, Motor MEP, SSEP, Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR), Free-run and Triggered EMG, Visual Evoked Potentials (VEP), and Electrocorticography (ECoG) — 300+ cases per year

• Nerve conduction studies (NCS) and electromyography (EMG) for peripheral nerve and muscle disease

• World-class in-house IONM team led by Dr. Nishanth Sampath, Senior Consultant Neurophysiology — globally recognised authority in intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring

Surgical Technology

• Advanced neuronavigation and image-guided surgery platforms

• 5-ALA fluorescence-guided glioma surgery for maximal safe tumour resection

• Endoscopic skull base and pituitary surgery systems

• Endoscopic spine surgery equipment for minimally invasive spinal procedures

• WEB Device (Woven EndoBridge) endovascular aneurysm treatment system

• Dedicated neuro-anaesthesia support and modular neurosurgical operating theatres

Neurocritical Care Unit

• 8 dedicated Neuro ICU beds with continuous neurological and haemodynamic monitoring

• Advanced ventilatory support and intracranial pressure monitoring

• Structured post-surgical neurosurgery recovery and neurocritical care protocols

Doctors

Neurosurgery

• Dr. K. R. Suresh Bapu- Director & Senior Consultant- Institute of Neurosciences
• Dr. Vijay Sankaran- Joint Director & Senior Consultant- Neurosurgery
• Dr. Vishwaraj Ratha- Senior Consultant- Neurosurgery
• Dr. R. Sunil Kapilavayi- Senior Consultant- Neurosurgery
• Dr. M. Krishna Kumar- Consultant- Neurosurgery

Neurology

• Dr. Prabash Prabhakaran- Director & Senior Consultant- Neurology
• Dr. Vivek Iyer- Joint director & Senior Consultant- Neurology
• Dr. Rithesh R Nair- Director & Senior Consultant- Interventional Neurology
• Dr. Selvin S- Senior Consultant- Interventional Neurology

Neurophysiology

• Dr. Nishanth Sampath- Senior Consultant & Lead, Clinical Neurophysiology