In neurosurgery, technical excellence is a given – but the ability to inspire and guide others is what creates a lasting legacy. Dr. Fady Charbel, MD, FAANS, FACS, is an internationally recognized cerebrovascular surgeon, technology innovator and educator who exemplifies this blend of expertise and mentorship. 

In our series about mentorship in medicine, we celebrate those who have dedicated themselves to shaping careers, products and lives. Today, we’re highlighting the incredible contributions Dr. Charbel has made to neurosurgery and flow measurement. 

And we would love to hear about your greatest mentor! Let us know by nominating them for Transonic’s Mentorship Award and help us honor the individuals who shape our field.

A Leader in Cerebrovascular Surgery

Dr. Charbel is head of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System (UI Health). He is world-renowned for his work with complex neurosurgical disorders including stroke, brain aneurysms, cerebral blood flow metabolism and brain tumors. 

Over Dr. Charbel’s career, he has delivered over 380 scientific presentations and produced over 270 peer-reviewed publications – not to mention, of course, the countless patients whose lives he has saved. Dr. Charbel has led numerous clinical and research initiatives to improve patient care and currently holds nine patents. 

Dr. Fady Charbel and Transonic 

At Transonic, one of our defining strengths is our close partnership with surgeons –  working directly with them to create customized solutions tailored to their specific needs. 

We are incredibly proud to work alongside Dr. Charbel, a trusted long-time collaborator and advocate of Transonic's mission to bring precise and reliable flow measurements to operating rooms around the world.  

“Flow is a vital parameter during cerebrovascular surgery. Including flow in my surgical approach gives me a high degree of control over surgical outcomes. When I close the patient, I know the patient will recover without ischemia surprises. This translates into peace of mind—for the patient and me—and saves money for the hospital,” says Dr. Charbel.

The Transonic team worked closely with Dr. Charbel to co-invent and co-develop the Charbel Micro-Flowprobes® series to measure that flow. The Charbel Intracranial Micro-Flowprobes® and Charbel Extracranial Micro-Flowprobes® provide precise volume flow measurements during and after complex procedures such as aneurysm clipping and EC-IC bypass surgeries. 

Real-time, quantitative flow data helps surgeons determine the optimal location for aneurysm clipping, verify the preservation or augmentation of flow and take immediate corrective action, if needed, before closing the patient. 

Dr. Charbel's insights and guidance have played a key role in refining our technologies, helping us better meet the needs of cerebrovascular surgeons and their patients. As our Medical and Scientific Writer Dan Foster says,

“It was [Dr. Charbel]’s caring that founded his relationship with Transonic almost thirty years ago. His patients needed more than current technology could provide, so he turned to the best—the only—flow measurement company in the industry … The man is so dedicated that when he needed a new device so he could save more lives, he called our company and worked with us to design it. Fast-forward 30 years, and I’m standing at his seminar, being kindly asked about my flight.” (Read the rest of the piece here.)

A Career-Long Commitment to Mentorship

Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Charbel has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to mentoring the next generation in both his roles as a surgeon himself and as the Dr. Richard L. and Gertrude W. Fruin Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. 

While he has traveled worldwide to lecture, teach and demonstrate complex surgical procedures, his mentorship goes far beyond teaching surgical techniques – his unwavering belief in and support for his mentees leaves a profound and lasting impact on their careers and lives.

“He was the first neurosurgeon to believe in me and I will always be grateful for everything I learned from him in and out of the OR. His mastery is unparalleled,” writes one surgeon on LinkedIn, in a post honoring Dr. Charbel. 

It’s a sentiment that echoes throughout the neurosurgery community.