About

Adetokunbo A. Oyelese is a Professor of Neurosurgery at Brown University. He completed his BSc at the University of Ibadan in 1985, earned his MS from Purdue University in 1988, and obtained both his MD and PhD from Yale University in 1997. His educational background reflects a strong foundation in medical and scientific research, culminating in advanced training in neurosurgery. As a faculty member at Brown University, he is involved in teaching and research activities within the field of neurosurgery, contributing to the academic and clinical community through his expertise.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Surgery
• Internal medicine
• Radiology
• Emergency medicine
• Pathology
• Physical therapy
• Environmental health
• Medical physics

Selected publications

• Labor and Disability: A Nation-Wide Analysis of Pregnancy Outcomes after Spinal Cord Injury

  Journal of Neurotrauma · 2026-05-04

  article

  Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a challenging clinical entity necessitating multidisciplinary management. While the impact of SCI on male fertility is relatively well-understood, its impact on prepartum, peripartum, and fetal outcomes remains understudied. This study seeks to elucidate prepartum and delivery-related outcomes associated with a history of SCI in pregnant patients. We identified all pregnant patients admitted to United States hospitals with and without a history of SCI in the National Inpatient Sample from 2016 to 2019. For all patients, five outcomes were analyzed: in-hospital death, discharge disposition, prepartum complications, length of stay (LOS), and cost. For patients undergoing delivery during admissions, five additional outcomes were studied: preterm labor, epidural anesthesia administration, performance of cesarean section (CS), delivery-related complications, and fetal outcome. Unadjusted outcomes were summarized using survey-weighted estimates. Adjusted associations between SCI and maternal outcomes were estimated using stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) with doubly robust models. We identified 367 unweighted SCI admissions, corresponding to a survey-weighted national estimate of 1,835 SCI admissions (0.01%) among 15,073,815 pregnancy admissions. 91.6% of admissions were for delivery, with 32.5% undergoing CS. Pregnant patients with SCI had an average age of 30.3 years, and a plurality of injuries was lumbosacral (20.7%). Among all pregnant admissions, patients with a history of SCI had higher odds of inpatient mortality (OR = 45.54 [95% CI: 8.45–245.40], p < 0.001), lower rates of routine discharge disposition (OR = 0.17, p < 0.001), greater LOS (+50%, p < 0.001), and elevated costs (+49%, p < 0.001). SCI patients were more likely to have prepartum complications of venous thromboembolism (VTE) (OR = 4.01, p = 0.041) and genitourinary infections (OR = 4.26, p < 0.001). SCI patients were significantly less likely to be admitted electively (39.5% vs. 47.9%, p < 0.001) or for delivery (OR = 0.38, p < 0.001). Among admissions for delivery, there were no differences in preterm labor or epidural anesthesia administration, but patients with SCI were less likely to experience delivery-related complications (OR = 0.56, p = 0.017) and stillbirth (OR = 0.05, p = 0.003). SCI patients had significantly higher odds of undergoing CS (OR = 1.88, p = 0.006). These findings suggest that SCI confers substantial excess maternal risk, particularly for mortality, as well as VTE, urinary tract infection, CS, and overall resource utilization. Future work using SCI-specific registries with detailed neurological characterization and longitudinal follow-up is needed to refine risk stratification and inform multidisciplinary guidelines for pregnancy management in this population.

  PublisherDOI

• Metastatic Spinal Tumor Frailty Index and New England Spinal Metastasis Score Show the Most Consistent Performance for Short-Term Postoperative Outcomes: Single-Center Validation in 114 Patients

  North American Spine Society Journal (NASSJ) · 2026-04-01

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Perilesional neuromodulation replaces lost sensorimotor function in persons with spinal cord injury

  Nature Biomedical Engineering · 2026-03-11

  article
  PublisherDOI

• National Trends in Time to Surgery for Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in the United States: An Analysis of the National Trauma Data Bank

  Journal of Neurotrauma · 2026-01-13

  article

  The current guidelines recommend that patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) undergo rapid decompressive surgery, ideally within 24 h, to reduce cord ischemia and improve outcomes. National trends in treatment times in the United States, and the factors limiting the timely surgical management of SCI, remain incompletely understood. A retrospective review of the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) from 2017 to 2021, which encompasses the years following the publication of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen Spine guidelines suggesting early surgery, was performed. The included patients had sustained SCI requiring surgical management, were aged >18 years, were treated at a level I or II trauma center, and had no major trauma-related cranial, abdominal, or thoracic surgery prior to spine surgery. Mixed-effects models were used to identify the key factors at the patient and facility levels associated with time to surgery. The final cohort included 19,513 patients, of which 3,894 (19.9%) underwent surgery within 8 h and 10,634 (54.5%) underwent surgery within 24 h. The average time to surgery for patients admitted in 2018–2019 did not differ from 2017, whereas patients admitted in 2020 (−4.58 h, 95% confidence interval [CI] [−6.09, −3.07], p < 0.001) and 2021 (−2.17 h, 95% CI [−3.65, −0.68], p = 0.004) had significantly shorter times to surgery. Older patients experienced delays of 0.25 h per year of age (95% CI [0.22, 0.27], p < 0.001). Medicare status delayed surgery by 5.81 h (95% CI [4.81, 6.81], p < 0.001). When compared with patients arriving by helicopter ambulance, patients who self-transported (11.57 h, 95% CI [9.26, 13.90], p < 0.001) or were transported by ground ambulance (5.93 h, 95% CI [4.90, 6.96], p < 0.001) experienced significant delays. Pre-frail (5.88 h, 95% CI [5.02, 6.74], p < 0.001) or frail (10.15 h, 95% CI [8.62, 11.68], p < 0.001) patients by the 11-item modified frailty index had increased time to surgery. Patients with cervical injuries had significantly longer times to surgery compared with those with cervicothoracic (−3.42 h, 95% CI [−5.56, −1.28], p = 0.002) or thoracic injuries (−6.29 h, 95% CI [−7.54, −5.05], p < 0.001). Treatment at teaching hospitals (−1.18 h, 95% CI [−2.18, −0.37], p = 0.001) and level I trauma centers (1.41 h, 95% CI [−2.50, −0.53], p = 0.003) reduced the time to surgery in comparison with non-teaching and level II trauma hospitals. In summary, older age, pre-existing frailty, cervical injury, Medicare insurance status, and transportation by ground ambulance or self-transportation are associated with prolonged time to surgery, while treatment at teaching hospitals and level I trauma centers is linked to more rapid intervention. These results suggest that rapid emergency medical systems transport and management at high-resource trauma centers may minimize surgical delays. Despite improvements in later years, nearly half of patients did not meet 24-h operative standards, and only one in five met 8-h targets, underscoring persistent variability in practice patterns and opportunities to better align care with the established guidelines.

  PublisherDOI

• Multilevel Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion for Symptomatic Spondylotic Stenosis and Severe Disc Degeneration Without Scoliosis: Single-Institutional Case Series and Lessons Learned

  The International Journal of Spine Surgery · 2026-03-31

  articleOpen access

  <sec><title>Background</title> Posterior decompression for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (DLSS) carries approach-related morbidity. In this study, we hypothesized that multilevel lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) achieves effective indirect decompression with acceptable safety and patient-reported improvement among DLSS patients without scoliosis. </sec><sec><title>Methods</title> This was a single-institution retrospective case series (2016–2022) of adults with symptomatic spondylotic stenosis and severe disc degeneration without scoliosis (Cobb angle <10°) undergoing multilevel (≥2) LLIF. Patients with concurrent posterior decompression or deformity correction were excluded. Primary outcomes were radiographic decompression (central canal diameter and bilateral foraminal height), patient-reported pain and disability (visual analog scale and Oswestry Disability Index), and complications. Secondary measures included spinopelvic parameters and fusion by the Brantigan-Steffee-Fraser scale. Imaging was assessed on pre- and postoperative magnetic resonance imaging. Tests of significance included 1-sided paired <italic>t</italic> tests for parametric variables and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests otherwise. </sec><sec><title>Results</title> Twenty-five patients (mean age 65.8 years; 56% men; mean body mass index 31.2 ± 5.4) underwent 57 LLIF levels with a mean follow-up of 41.3 ± 31.6 months. Central canal diameter increased by 31% (2.2 mm absolute), and foraminal height increased 17% to 39% (2.5–13.1 mm). Lumbar lordosis improved from 39.6° to 44.8°, with PI–LL mismatch improving by 5.4°. Early fusion status (BSF-3) at the last radiological assessment (mean 7.2 months) was 91.3% (21/23 evaluated). Visual analog scale score improved from 7.1 ± 2.0 to 3.0 ± 2.4 (Δ−4.1; <italic>n</italic> = 20), and Oswestry Disability Index score improved from 65.9 ± 12.9 to 47.5 ± 19.8 (Δ−18.4; <italic>n</italic> = 17). Overall complication rate was 40% with no major events; postoperative neurological complications included transient proximal lower-extremity weakness in 4% and persistent sensory symptoms in 12%. </sec><sec><title>Conclusions</title> In carefully selected DLSS patients without scoliosis, multilevel LLIF achieved meaningful indirect decompression, substantial pain and disability improvement, and high early fusion rates with no major complications. The findings support LLIF as a viable alternative to posterior approaches. </sec><sec><title>Clinical Relevance</title> Multilevel LLIF can facilitate multilevel indirect decompression with favorable radiographic and clinical outcomes while avoiding posterior soft-tissue disruption. Routine posterior instrumentation at the index surgery may support fusion and reduce returns to the OR. </sec><sec><title>Level of Evidence</title> 4. </sec>

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Robotic-Assisted Single-Position Lateral Mini-Open Upper Lumbar Corpectomy with Posterior Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Fixation: A Technical Note with Illustrative Case Series

  Applied Sciences · 2026-04-03

  articleOpen access

  Management of unstable upper lumbar fractures with corpectomy and posterior fixation is technically demanding, and conventional workflows may require intraoperative repositioning, increasing operative complexity. Lateral mini-open upper lumbar corpectomy (LMULC) paired with robotic-assisted (RA) posterior percutaneous pedicle screw fixation (PPPSF) can be performed in a single position to facilitate ventral spinal decompression and stabilization in the anatomically constrained upper lumbar spine. In this study, we describe the operative technique and report four illustrative cases of unstable L1 or L2 fractures treated with single-position LMULC, RA-PPPSF, and short-segment fusion. Clinical, radiological, intraoperative variables and postoperative outcomes were evaluated. The mean age was 52.3 ± 17.7 years. The median operation time was 314 min (range 268–361 min); the median estimated blood loss (EBL) was 225 mL (range 100–400 mL). The median preoperative kyphosis was 10.15° (range 8.4–14.6°), the median postoperative kyphosis measured 6.65° (range 1.7–10.8°) and the median correction achieved was 3.5° (range −2.4–12.9°). The median visual analog scale (VAS) pain score reduced from 7 (range 7–9) preoperatively to 4.5 (range 2–6) postoperatively at discharge. At a median follow-up of 12 months (range 6–15 months), all patients had uncomplicated recoveries, demonstrated solid fusion on imaging, and reported favorable MacNab outcomes. Single-position LMULC with RA-PPPSF was technically feasible in this preliminary illustrative series and resulted in favorable clinical and radiographic outcomes. However, further studies in larger cohorts are warranted to help confirm these findings and better define the potential advantages and limitations of this technique.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• 2026 Development of a Modified Radiographic Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score (rSINS): Towards Earlier Referral and Management of Metastatic Spine Tumors

  Neurosurgery · 2025-03-14

  article

  INTRODUCTION: The Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score (SINS) is an 18-point index used to identify patients with metastatic spinal tumors who may benefit from surgical referral. SINS categorizes patients according to stability using six variables: lesion location, lesion quality, spinal alignment, vertebral collapse, posterolateral element involvement, and mechanical pain. A modified SINS that can be evaluated on imaging could be used as a screening tool by radiologists to facilitate earlier referral, particularly for intermediate SINS (“potentially unstable”) cases. METHODS: Patients who underwent surgery for metastatic spinal tumor (2015–2022) were retrospectively included. SINS was evaluated for all cases. A 5-variable rSINS was evaluated without the pain variable. Concordance (% agreement) between SINS and rSINS and Kendall’s W coefficient were calculated to determine optimal rSINS thresholds for “potentially unstable” and “unstable.” Three- and two-variable SINS scores were also evaluated for comparison. RESULTS: Across 102 patients, mean SINS was 9.7 (range 2–17; 12.8% SINS 0-6, 68.6% SINS 7-12, 18.6% SINS 13-18). After optimization, rSINS thresholds of 0-4 (“stable”), 5-9 (“potentially unstable”), and 10-15 (“unstable”) demonstrated 95.1% concordance and similarity (p=0.016) with the original SINS. The resulting corresponding updated rSINS classification was 13.7% (0-4), 65.7% (5-9), and 20.6% (10-15). Overall, 94.2% (66/70) of SINS 7-12 patients remained in the “potentially unstable” category, with 2 total patients moving up a category and 2 moving down. A 2-variable rSINS (only alignment and vertebral collapse) had concordance of 74.5%, with optimized thresholds of 1-3 (“potentially unstable”) and 4-7 (“unstable”). A 3-variable SINS (re-including pain) identified 14/19 unstable patients (SINS 13-18) with a sensitivity of 73.7%. CONCLUSIONS: A 5-point modified version of SINS evaluable entirely from imaging had 95.1% concordance with the original 6-point SINS. Further reduced versions had weaker agreement.

  PublisherDOI

• Vasopressor Use in Acute Spinal Cord Injury: Current Evidence and Clinical Implications

  Journal of Clinical Medicine · 2025-01-29 · 8 citations

  reviewOpen access

  Acute spinal cord injury (SCI) often results in severe neurologic deficits, with hemodynamic instability contributing to secondary ischemic damage. Beyond surgical decompression, maintaining adequate mean arterial pressure (MAP) is key to enhancing spinal cord perfusion and oxygenation. Vasopressor therapy is frequently used to achieve hemodynamic stability, but optimal MAP targets and vasopressor selection remain controversial. This review explores updated guidelines and current evidence regarding MAP management and the use of vasopressors in SCI, focusing on their impact on spinal cord perfusion and neurologic outcomes. Recent studies highlight the role of durotomy in directly improving spinal cord perfusion pressure (SCPP) by reducing intraspinal pressure (ISP), offering a complementary mechanical intervention as part of pharmacologic therapies. Recent guidelines suggest an MAP range of 75-80 mmHg as a lower limit and 90-95 mmHg as an upper limit for 3-7 days post-injury, highlighting the need for personalized hemodynamic management. Norepinephrine is commonly preferred due to its balanced effects on peripheral vascular resistance and spinal cord perfusion pressure (SCPP), though dopamine, phenylephrine, and dobutamine each offer unique hemodynamic profiles suited to specific clinical scenarios. Despite their benefits, vasopressors carry significant risks, including arrhythmias and potential myocardial strain, necessitating careful selection based on individual patient factors. Further research is needed to refine vasopressor use and establish evidence-based protocols that optimize neurologic recovery, alongside continued exploration of SCPP as a potential therapeutic target.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Technique refinement for complex locoregional reconstruction after spine surgery: Optimization of closed suction drain use

  Journal of Plastic Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery · 2025-01-31

  article
  PublisherDOI

• A Group Model for Aligning Incentives and Interests in Academic Neurosurgery for Effective, Efficient, and Ethical Patient Care

  NEJM Catalyst · 2025-07-16

  article
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Ziya L. Gokaslan

  420 shared

• Jared S. Fridley

  Brown University

  372 shared

• Albert E. Telfeian

  336 shared

• Owen P. Leary

  Providence College

  142 shared

• Tianyi Niu

  Brown University

  132 shared

• Joaquin Q. Camara-Quintana

  101 shared

• Rahul A. Sastry

  Providence College

  98 shared

• Sohail Syed

  Brown University

  86 shared

Labs

• Adetokunbo A. Oyelese LabPI

  Not provided

Education

• Ph.D.

  Yale University

  1997

• M.D.

  Yale University

  1997

• M.S.

  Purdue University

  1988

• B.S.

  University of Ibadan

  1985