Skip to main content
Charles Blair Stillerman

Charles Blair Stillerman, MD, FAANS, FACS

Languages spoken: English

Clinical Locations

Veterans Administration Medical Center

  • Dr. Charles Stillerman earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and an MD from Loyola School of Medicine in Maywood, Illinois. He completed his residency training at the University of Southern California School of Medicine in Los Angeles, California, where he served as Resident Supervisor from 1983 to 1987. Following his residency, Dr. Stillerman became board certified and undertook a Spine Fellowship in Spine Reconstruction/Stabilization and Spinal Cord Injury at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

    Dr. Stillerman's clinical focus centers on the contemporary surgical management of spinal disorders. The surgical options often include minimally invasive techniques. Additionally, when appropriate a wide variety of spinal fusion procedures are available for use. His academic areas of interest include degenerative and traumatic spinal problems in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar Spine. Currently, he holds the position of Clinical Professor of Neurological Surgery at the University of Utah and serves as Chief of Neurosurgery at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. As of 2022, he also heads the Neurotrauma department at Holy Cross Davis Hospital.

    Consistently recognized as one of the Best Doctors in America in Castle Connolly's Top Doctors, Dr. Stillerman has authored and delivered extensive lectures on spinal disorders, spinal injuries, and specifically on Thoracic and Lumbar Spine Stabilization. He is an active member of various professional associations and committees, including being a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS), the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), the Neurosurgical Society of America, the AANS-CNS Joint Section of Neurotrauma and Critical Care, and the AANS-CNS Joint Section of Spine and Peripheral Nerve.

    Board Certification

    American Board of Neurological Surgery
    National Board of Medical Examiners
  • Dr. Charles Stillerman earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and an MD from Loyola School of Medicine in Maywood, Illinois. He completed his residency training at the University of Southern California School of Medicine in Los Angeles, California, where he served as Resident Supervisor from 1983 to 1987. Following his residency, Dr. Stillerman became board certified and undertook a Spine Fellowship in Spine Reconstruction/Stabilization and Spinal Cord Injury at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

    Dr. Stillerman's clinical focus centers on the contemporary surgical management of spinal disorders. The surgical options often include minimally invasive techniques. Additionally, when appropriate a wide variety of spinal fusion procedures are available for use. His academic areas of interest include degenerative and traumatic spinal problems in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar Spine. Currently, he holds the position of Clinical Professor of Neurological Surgery at the University of Utah and serves as Chief of Neurosurgery at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. As of 2022, he also heads the Neurotrauma department at Holy Cross Davis Hospital.

    Consistently recognized as one of the Best Doctors in America in Castle Connolly's Top Doctors, Dr. Stillerman has authored and delivered extensive lectures on spinal disorders, spinal injuries, and specifically on Thoracic and Lumbar Spine Stabilization. He is an active member of various professional associations and committees, including being a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS), the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), the Neurosurgical Society of America, the AANS-CNS Joint Section of Neurotrauma and Critical Care, and the AANS-CNS Joint Section of Spine and Peripheral Nerve.

    Board Certification and Academic Information

    Academic Departments Neurosurgery -Primary
    Board Certification
    American Board of Neurological Surgery
    National Board of Medical Examiners

    Education history

    Fellowship Spine Reconstruction/Stabilization and Spinal Cord Injury - Medical College of Wisconsin Fellow
    Neurological Surgery - University of Southern California School of Medicine Chief Resident
    Residency Neurological Surgery - University of Southern California School of Medicine Resident
    General Surgery - Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center Intern
    Professional Medical Medicine - Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine M.D.
    General Studies - University of Michigan B.G.S.

    Selected Publications

    Journal Article

    1. Couldwell WT, Surnock AA, Tobia AJ, Cabana BE, Stillerman CB, Forsyth PA, Appley AJ, Spence AM, Hinton DR, Chen TC (2011). A phase 1/2 study of orally administered synthetic hypericin for treatment of recurrent malignant gliomas. Cancer, 117(21), 4905-15.
    2. Couldwell WT, Zhang W, Allen R, Arce D, Stillerman CB (1998). Cerebellar contusion associated with type I Chiari malformation following supratentorial head trauma: case report. Neurol Res, 20(1), 93-6.
    3. Couldwell WT, Scheithauer BW, Rice SG, Zhang W, Stillerman CB (1997). Osteosarcoma of the meninges in association with glioblastoma. Acta Neurochir (Wien), 139(7), 684-9.
    4. Levy ML, Gans W, Wijesinghe HS, SooHoo WE, Adkins RH, Stillerman CB (1996). Use of methylprednisolone as an adjunct in the management of patients with penetrating spinal cord injury: outcome analysis. Neurosurgery, 39(6), 1141-8; discussion 1148-9.
    5. Stillerman CB, Chen TC, Day JD, Couldwell WT, Weiss MH (1995). The transfacet pedicle-sparing approach for thoracic disc removal: cadaveric morphometric analysis and preliminary clinical experience. J Neurosurg, 83(6), 971-6.
    6. Arnold PM, Baek PN, Stillerman CB, Rice SG, Mueller WM (1995). Surgical management of lumbar neuropathic spinal arthropathy (Charcot joint) after traumatic thoracic paraplegia: report of two cases. J Spinal Disord, 8(5), 357-62.
    7. Stillerman CB, Wilson JA (1993). Atlanto-axial stabilization with posterior transarticular screw fixation: technical description and report of 22 cases. Neurosurgery, 32(6), 948-54; discussion 954-5.

    Review

    1. Stillerman CB, Chen TC, Couldwell WT, Zhang W, Weiss MH (1998). Experience in the surgical management of 82 symptomatic herniated thoracic discs and review of the literature. [Review]. J Neurosurg, 88(4), 623-33.
  • News & Podcasts