Brian Snelling, MD, FAANS

Director of Cerebrovascular & Endovascular Neurosurgery

Medical Director, Marilyn & Stanley Barry Center for Cerebrovascular Disease and Stroke

Marcus Neuroscience Institute | Boca Raton Regional Hospital

Most patients with a brain aneurysm, stroke, or vascular disease of the brain will see either a neurosurgeon or an endovascular specialist. Dr. Snelling is both.

As one of a small number of physicians in the country dual-trained in neurosurgery and neurointerventional surgery, Dr. Snelling offers the full spectrum of treatment — open microsurgical, minimally invasive endovascular, stereotactic radiosurgery, and combination treatments.

His clinical expertise spans brain aneurysms, stroke, arteriovenous malformations, cavernous malformations including brainstem lesions, Moyamoya disease, carotid artery disease, dural and spinal arteriovenous fistulas, and complex vascular disorders of the brain and spinal cord.

Dr. Snelling studied at Vanderbilt University, where he earned a degree in Biomedical Engineering. He completed both his neurosurgery residency and endovascular fellowship at Jackson Memorial Hospital and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine — one of the premier cerebrovascular and endovascular training programs in the country, under the mentorship of pioneering cerebrovascular neurosurgeon Roberto Heros, MD.

A nationally recognized researcher and educator, Dr. Snelling is board-certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery and has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and invited editorials — with more than 2,100 citations — in journals including JAMA, the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery, and Neurosurgery. He is a principal investigator in multiple active national clinical trials advancing stroke care, a pioneer in transradial access for neurointerventional procedures, and has trained hundreds of surgeons in the technique.

Dr. Snelling’s insights and expertise have been featured in the following:

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A family history of brain aneurysms prompted one patient to get screened — a decision that may have saved his life. Imaging revealed an unruptured aneurysm that carried the risk of sudden, catastrophic rupture. Using minimally invasive endovascular techniques, Dr. Snelling repaired the aneurysm before it could cause harm, sending the patient home with his future intact.

 

When a young patient arrived with a large anterior skull base meningioma requiring urgent intervention, the margin for error was zero. Tumors of this location and size sit at the intersection of critical structures: the optic apparatus, major vessels, and the brain itself. In this video, Dr. Snelling walks through the case, the decision-making, and the outcome that gave this patient their life back.

 

Dr. Snelling sits down with You and Your Doctor to discuss stroke, neurosurgery, and interventional neuroradiology — what these conditions look like, how they're treated, and why time is everything when the brain is at risk.

 

When a Colleague's Life Was on the Line

When a fellow healthcare professional suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm, there was no time to waste. CBS 12 News covered the story — and the urgent, expert care Dr. Snelling delivered that made the difference.

 

Dr. Snelling walks through the state-of-the-art technologies available at Marcus Neuroscience Institute — and what they mean for patients facing complex neurovascular conditions.

On a recent broadcast, Dr. Snelling was among a panel of stroke experts discussing surprising symptoms, risk factors, and why time is of the essence.

On a recent television episode of Dateline Health, Dr. Snelling discusses:

  • Brain Aneurysms

    • Diagnosis

    • Treatment

      • Aneurysm clipping

      • Aneurysm coiling or stenting

    • Screening

      • Family History of brain aneurysms or subarachnoid hemorrhage

  • The position of the Marcus Neuroscience Institute as a comprehensive center for cerebrovascular and stroke care, servicing patients not only from Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami Dade counties, as well as South Florida and beyond.