Neurosurgeon performs cerebral bypass at Sharp Grossmont

Dr. Sunil Jeswani, a neurosurgeon with Sharp Community Medical Group and affiliated with Sharp Grossmont Hospital, recently made headlines when he successfully performed the first cerebral bypass by a nonacademic, community hospital in the San Diego area.

A cerebral bypass — also called revascularization — is a delicate microsurgery used for patients who may have a blocked or narrowed artery, putting them at risk for stroke. Think of it as the brain’s equivalent to a coronary bypass for the heart.

The surgeon begins by performing a vessel graft — taking a blood vessel from outside the patient's brain — for example, from the scalp. That vessel is then placed inside the brain to reroute blood flow around the problem artery by connecting it to a healthy vessel, restoring blood flow to a normal level.

“If you think of arteries like pipes, carrying blood to various parts of the brain, this surgery becomes a plumbing project,” explains Dr. Jeswani. “Essentially, we’re taking one of the arteries — or pipes — from the scalp and attaching it to an artery inside the brain.”

A special fluorescent dye was used, which the team can see using a microscope with a special filter. This allows them to confirm that the blood is flowing adequately through the bypass.

The procedure is often used for patients with moyamoya disease, as was the case with this patient. In moyamoya disease, the arteries supplying blood to the brain narrow over time, reducing oxygen flow and increasing the risk of stroke.

“Our patient had already had a stroke and was at risk for another,” says Dr. Jeswani. “Having the tools and a multi-disciplinary team to offer patients this advanced type of stroke prevention procedure at a nonacademic hospital is a testament to Sharp’s commitment to neuroscience expertise for San Diego.”

Dedicated to neuroscience expertise

That commitment to world-class neurosurgical and neurological care was cemented in 2025 with the opening of Sharp Grossmont Hospital for Neuroscience on the main hospital’s campus.

The specialty hospital is San Diego’s only comprehensive center for patients with conditions that affect the brain, nerves and spine. This includes cancers of the head, neck and spine; movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor; and stroke. The center also offers its own inpatient and outpatient rehab facility to follow patients through their recovery.

The opening of the neuroscience hospital has allowed Sharp to recruit world-class experts in their field. This includes Dr. Jeswani, who has been a champion of the need for and importance of this type of multidisciplinary care and team under one roof for the San Diego area. He says this latest achievement is a perfect example.

“Being able to offer this type of surgery, as well as the aftercare the patient needs delivered by a specialized team of caregivers inside of the neuroscience hospital, demonstrates how we are able to provide the highest level of care to some of the most complex neurological and neurosurgical problems,” he says.

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