Garni Barkhoudarian, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained neurosurgeon with a focus on skull base and minimally invasive endoscopic surgery. Dr. Barkhoudarian has particular interest and expertise in pituitary and parasellar tumors, brain tumors, skull-base tumors (including meningiomas, craniopharyngiomas, chordomas and schwannomas), intra-ventricular brain tumors, colloid cysts, trigeminal neuralgia, hemifacial spasm and other vascular compression syndromes. For virtually all tumors and intracranial procedures, Dr. Barkhoudarian applies the keyhole concept of minimizing collateral damage to the brain and its supporting structures using advanced neuroimaging and neuro-navigation techniques along with endoscopy to improve targeting and lesion visualization.
Along with Drs. Marisa Chang and Daniel Franc, Dr. Barkhoudarian leads the Pacific Facial Pain Center, which offers a 360-degree approach to trigeminal neuralgia, hemifacial spasm, glossopharyngeal spasm and other facial pain syndromes. This includes medication therapy, percutaneous procedures, stereotactic radiosurgery and endoscopic microvascular decompression of the trigeminal or facial nerves.
As director of the Pacific Adult Hydrocephalus Center, he works with Dr. Daniel Franc to treat patients with various conditions involving cerebrospinal fluid anomalies. This includes hydrocephalus (obstructive, acquired and normal pressure), colloid cysts, cerebrospinal fluid leaks, intracranial hypotension and idiopathic intracranial hypertension.
Dr. Barkhoudarian’s research interests include evaluating outcomes of pituitary and brain tumor surgery. He is also involved in the biomarkers research program for pituitary adenomas, meningiomas and metastatic brain tumors, as well as evaluating potential mechanisms and markers of invasive and atypical tumor progression. He is an investigator in a number of clinical trials determining the efficacy of various medical or chemotherapies for pituitary tumors and malignant brain tumors.
As director of the Skull-Base and Endoscopic Microdissection Anatomy Laboratory, Dr. Barkhoudarian conducts neuroanatomical analysis, advancing the procedures and technology used for minimally invasive surgery. Research fellows from around the world perform observational fellowships for periods of 3-6 months at a time, allowing them to learn these techniques and apply them in their home countries. In collaboration with Dr. Daniel Kelly, Pacific Brain Tumor Center director, Dr. Barkhoudarian also oversees the PBTC Clinical Neurosurgical Fellowship.
Career Highlights
Dr. Barkhoudarian graduated from UCLA and received his medical education at the University of Michigan Medical School. He completed his neurosurgical residency at the UCLA Medical Center. Thereafter, he completed a Pituitary and Neuroendoscopy Fellowship with Dr. Edward Laws, at Brigham & Women’s Hospital. He is a member of the American Academy of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), the International Society of Pituitary Surgeons (ISPS) and the Armenian American Medical Society (AAMS). He is the Chair of the Self-Assessment in Neurological Surgery (SANS) committee, writing questions to help advance the knowledge of neurosurgeons in training and in practice. Additionally, he is a board member of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), where he works with national colleagues to improve research, education and patient care in neurosurgery.