Board Certification
|
National Board of Medical Examiners
American Board of Neurological Surgery
|
Patient Rating
Patients consistently describe Dr. Stillerman as a highly skilled, compassionate surgeon who makes them feel heard and cared for. Reviewers highlight that he takes time to listen, explains diagnoses and treatment options clearly, and involves patients in decision-making. Many note his excellent bedside manner and confidence in his surgical expertise, with ongoing follow-up after procedures.
Generated via Patient Reviews
The patient rating score is an average of all responses on our patient experience survey. The rating averages scores for all questions about care from our providers. The scale on which responses are measured is 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.
Patient comments are gathered from our patient experience survey and displayed in their entirety. For the convenience of our visitors, some patient comments have been translated from their original language into English while preserving their original meaning as accurately as possible. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.
Board Certification and Academic Information
| Academic Departments |
Neurosurgery
-Professor (Clinical) |
|---|---|
| Board Certification |
National Board of Medical Examiners
American Board of Neurological Surgery
|
Education history
| Undergraduate | General Studies - University of Michigan | B.G.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Medical | Medicine - Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine | M.D. |
| Internship | General Surgery - Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center | Intern |
| Residency | Neurological Surgery - University of Southern California School of Medicine | Resident |
| Chief Resident | Neurological Surgery - University of Southern California School of Medicine | Chief Resident |
| Fellowship | Spine Reconstruction/Stabilization and Spinal Cord Injury - Medical College of Wisconsin | Fellow |
Selected Publications
Journal Article
- Couldwell WT, Surnock AA, Tobia AJ, Cabana BE, Stillerman CB, Forsyth PA, Appley AJ, Spence AM, Hinton DR, Chen T (2011). A phase 1/2 study of orally administered synthetic hypericin for treatment of recurrent malignant gliomas. Cancer, 117(21), 4905-15.
- Couldwell WT, Zhang W, Allen R, Arce D, Stillerman C (1998). Cerebellar contusion associated with type I Chiari malformation following supratentorial head trauma: case report. Neurological research, 20(1), 93-6.
- Couldwell WT, Scheithauer BW, Rice SG, Zhang W, Stillerman C (1997). Osteosarcoma of the meninges in association with glioblastoma. Acta neurochirurgica, 139(7), 684-9.
- Levy ML, Gans W, Wijesinghe HS, SooHoo WE, Adkins RH, Stillerman C (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.
- Arnold PM, Baek PN, Stillerman CB, Rice SG, Mueller W (1995). Surgical management of lumbar neuropathic spinal arthropathy (Charcot joint) after traumatic thoracic paraplegia: report of two cases. Journal of spinal disorders, 8(5), 357-62.
- Stillerman CB, Chen TC, Day JD, Couldwell WT, Weiss M (1995). The transfacet pedicle-sparing approach for thoracic disc removal: cadaveric morphometric analysis and preliminary clinical experience. Journal of neurosurgery, 83(6), 971-6.
- Stillerman CB, Wilson J (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
- Stillerman CB, Chen TC, Couldwell WT, Zhang W, Weiss M (1998). Experience in the surgical management of 82 symptomatic herniated thoracic discs and review of the literature. Journal of neurosurgery, 88(4), 623-33.
Dr. Stillerman genuinely cares about his patients. He explains things carefully and respectfully. He works together with the patient to decide on a plan for treatment. Dr. Stillerman is an exceptional Doctor! His team is just as awesome!
I appreciated that he took time to explain procedures and test results. He asked questions that included me in the decisions.
Dr. Sillerman is my hero!! Tops in surgery, bedside manner and follow up care. Above and beyond in every respect.
Dr. Stillerman and his nurse Cynthia Gilbertson have provided me excellent care and I have been singing their praises to my other doctors and my physical therapist. I would not hesitate to recommend him should anyone require a Neurosurgeon. Dr. Stillerman is by far one of the most personable physicians I have met in a very very long time and he takes the time to get to know his patients. Excellent care, excellent bedside manner, easy going and easy to talk to regarding my care. Lastly, he included me and my husband in the discussion and decisions regarding my care.
Thanks for being attentive to my needs!
Dr Stillerman makes you feel safe
Glad he is so experienced! That's the most important.
Dr Stillerman is my hero. He really cares and it shows in his interactions and mannerisms
Very kind and caring. Thank you so much
Dr Stillerman is such a caring Dr. I feel he's going to get me back to living my life again. He explains things so you understand everything about surgery so I was able to understand. I'm excited to have him do my surgery. I've had SEVERE pain since July of last year. My life was truly wonderful until a couple of falls ruined it. I feel Dr. Stillerman is the right surgeon for my spine procedure and will get me back to my awesome life. I'll post again after surgery.
Thank you for taking on my case and working with me through a very stressful time.
Dr. Stillerman is an amazing Dr. He truly cares about you and your health needs. I recommend him and you won't regret it. He's very caring and does everything he can to treat your health care needs.
I am Very satisfied with my experience so far with U Health and Dr, Stillerman.
Dr Stillerman is a very wonderful and personable doctor. He talks to you not at you, also explains things you where you can understand what his thoughts are. I feel that I can definitely trust Dr Stillerman. Thank you [NAME REMOVED]
The best!
Thank you for hearing me, and looking at my case because I haven't been heard before.
Excellent surgeon, great results and so good at explaining things.
He was very thorough and listened to me about my situation and made the decision that best fit my situation
He is awesome. So kind and thoughtful. Very thorough explanation of my problem and how he would fix it.
I recommend him.
Doctor Stillerman took his time to understand my needs in regards to my back and my extreme hesitation towards surgery. I feel confident that Dr. Sterman and his team have a good plan to get things better with my back.
I felt from the first handshake I was in Good care. Dr Stillerman was very prepared, and personable. He asked good questions and is a good listener, explaining in ways I understood. He is very professional, kind, understanding and so knowledgeable. He has a welcoming approach and seemed to take my information seriously. I would not hesitate to contact him if further problems arise. I was so thankful to get in and he really eased my fears and concerns.
World class technical work. Even better human. This was my 4th low back surgery. This was my only one with him and at U of U. His care stands above the rest. on all levels.
Dr Stillerman was very detailed in his explanation of the options available to address my issue. He was also considerate and conservative in his approach to addressing the issues.
He's the best in giving a patient hope regarding their issues and does it in the most professional manner.
Dr. Stillerman was very thorough and spent time with me getting to know my situation, history, and concerns. he explained the proposed surgical procedure to me in detail and asked how i would like to proceed. he genuinely cared about me and involved me in the plan.
Dr.stillerman is a very good br.i treats him with by càre. And that's good.
Best physician I've ever had. He involves me in treatment options and aggressively looks for solutions.
Excellent!
He is a very modest guy even though he is the best at what he does. He has a way to make you feel he will do his very best which I am sure he will at same he does lay it on the line. Worst case scenario, and percentages. But not scare you which I wasn't. As he is a doctor and not god, which he doesn't claim he is. I left well informed and comfortable about my decision up and coming surgery
He's amazing. He puts great thought and care into his treatment.
Very good at listening and understanding my feelings
Nice attitude with carefulness, rich knowledge, great communication skills, and precise explanation.
Doctor stillman was very pleasant from the moment he stepped in the door; he was very concerned about my situation, very thorough, explaining The type of procedures, Complications and concerns about my treatment moving forward, he let me make the decisions concerning the treatments And procedures that would need to be done as he explained. to correct the problems that I am having. I left with great confidence that Doctor Stillerman Is the right person to help me get through this agonizing pain I Have been experiencing. For almost a year now...
Dr Stillerman is an excellent doctor with compassion and patience. He cares about the people he treats.
I feel confident in his skills.
First rate Dr. and a first rate human being. The level of care, even though I haven't had my procedure yet, is unmatched Dr. stillerman is by far the most sincere and caring Dr. and human being I think I've ever had the privelage of meeting.
Dr Stillerman focused attention on details and as a patient is remarkable. Feel very confident with his experience in these matters.
An amazing surgeon and his patient skills are amazing. He makes me feel valued and comfortable with his easy to understand explanation of various parts of my surgery and post-op results. He has an uniquely way of making a patient feel valuable and comfortable. I've had numerous surgeries and he is the best of the best. He will live in my memories forever!
I'm glad I got in contact with dr stillerman. I felt in good hands from start to finish. It's been 8 months since my surgery and he still cares and stays in contact.
I was told Dr. Stillerman was the best. After meeting with him, I could see that he really cared and was trying to find a possible to my walking issues. I look forward to meeting with him soon. Thanks for caring! I
Great surgeon, excellent communicator, straight shooter.
U Very likely
Nice manner, knowledgeable, and patient
He is a very kind gentleman, and I would refer him to anyone that may need help from him. He wasn't able to help me, but he referred me to the nonsurgical team for help, and he said that he would be there for me if they felt like he could be of assistance in my future needs.
I would refer my family and friends to Stillerman and his team, they are the best,
He was thorough, and could not make further decisions without more medical information
Dr. Stillerman is the first doctor I've ever met that I honestly felt that he is in it for the right reasons and I believe he truly cares about his patients. He has never made me feel rushed or that I'm just a number. Kind, compassionate and honest.
Dr Stillerman was careful to explain his findings and analysis and explain the why of his recommendation
Having just met Dr. Spiller,an- I have to tell you he could be my surgeon for anything. The kindness in his heart shows before he ever spoke a word. Then his explanation of my situation and choices not only easy to understand, but well thought out and I knew if I decided on surgery he was/ is my person for the job!
World class provider. Spoke with care and consideration for my individual case. Methodical in his explanation of my condition. Alleviated fear while being honest and transparent about next steps. Highly recommend!
Very capable and clear explnations.
First visit was good just need to see where it goes
Dr. Stillerman is an outstanding person, doctor, and surgeon. It may seem like a small detail, but he has the most gentle bed side manner. It took six months to finally get to the operating room and from what my family told me afterwards he was positive, gave great detail on the operation, and was very grateful for his surgery team. When he came to see me in my hospital room he always sat down and took the time to visit and answer any questions I had at the time. I can't say enough about him, the way he runs his practice, his professionalism, his caring attitude and compassion for his patients and their family.
He is the best!
Dr. Stillerman gained my confidence as we interacted. By no means was I committed to this procedure until he explained the procedure and why it needed to be done. In my research prior to surgery I perused several different sources both from medical personnel and from patients who had the very same procedure as I was about to have. To this point in the timeline since [DATE REMOVED] I am cautiously optimistic.
Dr stillerman is the most considerate, kind and caring Dr I have ever encountered.
Dr Stillerman is a great, knowledgeable, personable, best surgeon ever!
He was outstanding, explain things so good, he cares about how I feel. And how to fix it.. look forward to fixing my back!!
This fellow totally meets the standards i set for folks who help me walk my path. He answered and asked questions. The best part was him letting me wax poetic about 50 years ago and my time in security and very different it is now. This is important to me because it's part of my way of interviewing a caregiver if they take time to listen like it matters, I believe they will listen to my experience of my concerns.
Wonderful caring Dr
Dr Stillerman is the best and came very highly recommended to me and I would highly recommend him to any and everyone
Skillfull, compassionate, human. I not only had successful surgery but my family and I felt cared for as people that are important to him.
He was very straight forward.. I amiably hurt and he carefully explained every thing tome.
He spent a great deal of time with us and I truly appreciated that. He made me feel like I was the center of his attention and 100% focused on my issues.
He was great!
I would highly recommend Dr. Stillerman to anyone that is looking for an attentive and compassionate filled doctor. He explains medical terminology in an understandable method and he will ask for the patients opinion and how the patient wants to proceed. He never pushed his will or thoughts. In other words, itÕs a collaborative relationship and therefore pleasurable and one can reliably depend on his knowledge and bedside manner for a positive outcome.
Dr. Stillerman is an amazing surgeon. He always listens to my concerns and goes out of his way to include me in the decision making. He stood for 6 hours as he meticulously performed a very risky surgery that could have easily paralyzed me. Through Dr. Stillerman's excellent skills and extensive experience, I came through surgery without any complications. I 100% recommend him as an outstanding Neurosurgeon.
I felt like I was seen and heard. I was looking for answers, and that is what I received as well as solutions/plans.
I have never met a doctor with so much compassion and knowledge that was willing to look outside the box to try and explain my symptoms of the last 3 years. Highly recommend this doctor for anyone who just can not seem to get the answers or relief from their current healthcare!
He is the best and I will tell everyone I see about how great this doctor is. Thanks for everything he has done for me.
The best doctor I've ever encountered in over 40 years.
Dr. Stillerman was very personable and sincere.
He is the best doctor I've ever encountered.
I would recommend Dr Stillerman 100 times to everyone who needs spine care
Dr. Stillerman was sensitive and caring in his approach to my situation. He listened and made thoughtful recommendations.
Dr Stillerman not only has an impressive education and excellent experience...he also expressed genuine concern for my situation. He helped me feel at ease. I appreciated that very much!!
Excellent doctor, you are in good hands!
Dr. Stillerman is a nice guy who seems to care about me as a person and a patient. But, the rest of the staff supporting him is aloof and disorganized, or severely overworked and unable to help him do his job.
Dr. Stillerman is a conservative yet action oriented provider. He listens intently to the issue and everything associated with that. He put me through some steps to get to the solution which in the end was very much appreciated. I feel confident in him doing my surgery and I have no concerns about the outcome.
Dr Stillman is the best
Kind and caring. Easy to talk to. I trusted I was going to get the best care ever and I did. Forever grateful.
he treats u like family and cares about what u are feeling best doctor i have ever had thank u
I like Dr. Stillerman and think he is knowledgeable, but the lack of communication and coordination from his office was shocking. When I arrived for my appointment, he was completely unaware of how much my condition had worsened'despite multiple messages I had sent to his team detailing my escalating pain and nerve symptoms. Even more concerning, he didn't know that his office had prescribed me Baclofen. He asked if I had been given it, which made it obvious that either his staff prescribed it under his name without consulting him, or he had completely forgotten. Neither option inspires confidence. Dr. Stillerman himself seems great, but the breakdown in communication within his office is unacceptable. Patients dealing with serious post-op issues should not have to walk into their appointments and realize their surgeon has no idea what's been happening. If you see him, be prepared to advocate for yourself and make sure nothing gets lost in the system
Dr Charles B. Stillerman really great man. He give me all the right answers I need. Explain everything to me great.
Dr. Stillerman was very attentive and kind. He was willing to discuss my concerns and discuss options to remedy the problems. He is a very good person and easy to talk to.
Dr Stillerman was very kind . He explained what was wrong with my back in a way easy to understand. Told me to call him if I needed to .
He made me feel very safe
He has been amazing through this entire experience. Most caring and compassionate physician. He always makes time to listen.
Best experience I may have ever had with a physician
He listened to my worries and needs. We were able to come up with a plan to start with to try and elevate my pain for now and in the future hopefully.
Personable and probably
Dr Stillerman was kind and spent time explaining what was going on and what would be required for surgery. He took interest in body mechanics, past history of back trouble, etc. I feel confident he can get me feeling better.
I hope every has a chance to meet Dr. Stillerman is wonderful. He has a wealth of knowledge, experience and a truly caring persona. He is the very best.
Dr. Stillerman took a lot of time going over things with me and explaining his opinion on my back issue in terms that I could understand. I didn't feel rushed through the appointment and was very impressed when he called me the next week to explain even more on the upcoming procedure. I felt like a person to him and not just a surgical number.
Very professional. I felt in good hands.
One great and caring Dr
Dr. Stillerman provides exceptional care, insight and compassion. He made time to fully understand my issues. He observed things others have overlooked and recommended follow up actions. His upmost priority is providing the best care possible.
I have already made a recommendation to someone to see Dr. Stillerman. I was impressed with Dr. Stillerman's compassion, understanding and calm. When I mentioned his name to two other health care professionals I was talking to, they also gave him rave reviews.