Kelli Margaret Shilts, PA

Dr. Abhay Varma is faculty in neurosurgery at the Medical University of South Carolina. He completed his residency in India and fellowships in brain tumor surgery and spine surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Toronto, and the Cleveland Clinic. He specializes in managing adult brain tumors, hydrocephalus, Chiari malformation, adult spinal and spine tumors, and peripheral nerve disorders, including children with brachial plexus injuries (neonatal brachial plexopathy). His surgical practice offers microsurgery and endoscopic surgery. He also offers brain mapping and awake craniotomies for patients with brain tumors in eloquent areas, like the motor strip, the speech areas, and perisylvian tumors. Dr. Varma accepts new patients in downtown Charleston, Mount Pleasant, and Murrells Inlet.

Ashli O'Rourke, M.D. MS, joined the MUSC Evelyn Trammell Institute for Voice & Swallowing in September 2012. Dr. O'Rourke began her professional career as a speech-language pathologist (SLP), earning her Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology from Florida State University. After more than seven years of clinical speech therapy practice at Emory University Hospital, she attended medical school at the Medical College of Georgia. She completed her residency in Otolaryngology &- Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and her fellowship in Laryngology &- Voice and Swallowing disorders at the Medical College of Georgia.Dr. O'Rourke treats adult patients with problems located in the larynx (voice box), airway (wind pipe) and/or the esophagus (food pipe). This includes hoarseness or voice disturbances, dysphagia, or breathing difficulties due to airway narrowing or scar. She is particularly interested in the diagnosis and treatment of swallowing disorders as well as laryngopharyngeal reflux disease. Her research interests include innovative technologies for the diagnosis and rehabilitation of swallowing disorders. Dr. O'Rourke is board certified through the American Board of Otolaryngology and serves as a Senior Examiner for the Board. She is a Councilor on the Board of Directors for the Dysphagia Research Society and holds the Mark & Evelyn Trammell Endowed Chair in Otolaryngology.

Dr. Sunil Patel is board certified in neurological surgery, with additional fellowship training in skull base surgery, cerebrovascular surgery, and microneurosurgery. He has been in practice for over 20 years and is currently the chair of neurosurgery at MUSC. He has special expertise in minimally invasive neurosurgery of the brain and spine and endoscopic spine surgery.