Jacob Cherian, MD

A neurosurgeon, Dr. Cherian specializes in endovascular neurosurgery and cerebrovascular/skull base surgery. Among the conditions he treats are:

• Acoustic neuromas (noncancerous tumors that grow on the nerve that connects the ear to the brain)
• Arteriovenous fistulas (abnormal connection between an artery and a vein)
• Arteriovenous malformations (abnormal tangling of blood vessels that causes problems with connections between your arteries and veins)
• Brain aneurysms
• Carotid stenosis (condition that can lead to a stroke)
• Cavernous malformations (clusters of abnormal, tiny blood vessels)
• Meningiomas (a primary central nervous system tumor that begins in the brain or spinal cord)
• Moyamoya disease (a disorder of blood vessels in the brain)
• Skull base tumors (via open microsurgery)
• Spinal vascular malformations (the result of an abnormal connection between arteries and veins)
• Subarachnoid and intracranial hemorrhage (forms of bleeding in the brain requiring intensive neurosurgical treatment)
• Trigeminal neuralgia, hemifacial spasm and glossopharyngeal neuralgia (disorders that affect nerves in the head and face)
• Vertebrobasilar ectasia

Dr. Cherian always puts the patient first, seeing them as a real person and not just a medical image. He makes changing patients' lives for the better his main priority. He takes the time to understand the patient's symptoms and diagnosis and guides them to appropriate treatment plans, factoring in their personal preferences.

At University of Maryland Medical Center, Dr. Cherian is part of a comprehensive team comprising a wide range of brain and spine disease specialists. They treat complex nervous system problems using modern equipment and with the specialized expertise needed for microsurgery, radiosurgery and endovascular techniques.

Dr. Cherian is trained in both microsurgical neurosurgery and interventional neuroradiology techniques. He works with his interventional neuroradiology and neurosurgery colleagues to form a comprehensive neurovascular intervention team. Microsurgery allows Dr. Cherian and his team to safely treat many issues of the skull, including skull base tumors and neurovascular pain syndromes. He can offer the full range of treatment options for complex brain and spine blood vessel problems — such as aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, fistulas and carotid disease — from both outside and inside the artery.

Dr. Cherian chose to practice neurosurgery because the specialty represents the most courageous and noble traditions of the medical profession. "It is challenging, there is always a need for innovation and it helps people in life-threatening situations," he says. He makes sure each patient understands what they are facing so they can make informed decisions. Through this approach, he seeks to lessen the anxiety often caused by neurosurgical problems.

Dr. Cherian is a recipient of the Kinjiro Iwata Award for Excellence and Leadership in Neurosurgery (2018). He is a member of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (since 2011) and American Academy of Neurological Surgeons (since 2011).