Richard G. Ellenbogen, MD

Why do you specialize in neurological surgery?

Ever since medical school, I’ve had a passion for neurological surgery, in particular for working with patients who have brain tumors. One of the unique aspects about my practice is that I get to take care of children all the way into adulthood, and it’s so inspiring to witness their growth and accomplishments. For example, I remember one young patient who was not doing well in school. She was experiencing some concerning neurological issues, and it turned out that she had a deep-seated tumor affecting multiple regions in her brain. We were able to surgically remove it, and now she is set to graduate from college. She is one of many who appears on my “wall of heroes,” a collage of pictures hanging in my office of all the patients I have treated. Many of them have gone on to do well; some of them have passed away. Yet each has taught me something valuable, and each one reminds me what a privilege it is to do what I do.

What informs your approach to care?

Neurological surgery isn’t just a technical procedure — it intersects with every aspect of a patient’s life, from their identity to their relationships, and I never forget that. My philosophy is that I love each patient more than I hate their disease, which means that I don’t take unnecessary risks and that I’m very mindful of how surgery can affect critical brain structures. I also believe that family and friends play an important role in helping people heal, so prior to surgery I talk at length with patients about who is going to be there for them during recovery. Throughout every step of the surgical process, I focus on preserving each patient’s dignity and supporting their psychological and physical well-being.

Provider Background

Specialty: Surgery

Adult and pediatric brain tumors

I am a neurosurgeon who is board-certified in both pediatric and adult neurosurgery. My clinical expertise includes treating patients with brain tumors, craniofacial abnormalities, neurological trauma and Chiari malformations, a condition where brain tissue bulges into the spinal column. At SCCA, I primarily treat patients with metastatic brain tumors, which are cancers that have spread to the brain from other areas of the body. I am also an attending surgeon at UW Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center and Seattle Children’s. Throughout my career, I have served as the chair of the American Board of Neurological Surgery, president of the American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons and president of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

My research is focused on using molecular imaging to target brain tumors with nanoparticles. Smaller than cells, nanoparticles facilitate the delivery of drug therapies directly into tumors, which may ultimately help to improve outcomes for patients. I was also one of the researchers who helped to create Tumor Paint, a technology that causes cancer cells to glow, making it easier for surgeons to distinguish between healthy and malignant tissue during an operation.