Dr. Thomas M. Zervos

Thomas M. Zervos

, MD

Dr. Zervos is a pediatric neurosurgeon and Clinical Assistant Professor at the State University of New York with expertise in managing a wide range of cranial and spinal conditions. He completed his neurosurgery training at Henry Ford Health in Detroit and his pediatric neurosurgery fellowship at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and the Barrow Neurological Institute. Additionally, Dr. Zervos received specialized training in pediatric spinal deformities within the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. He was trained in top programs by globally recognized leaders in the fields of pediatric neurosurgery as well as pediatric spine surgery, making him one of the few specialists in the country with this dual expertise. His unique training enables him to provide a wide range of surgical and non-surgical options for spinal disorders.

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Clinical Assistant Professor

UBNS (University at Buffalo Neurosurgery)

John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital

818 Ellicott Street
Buffalo, NY 14203

Phone: 716.323.2000

Oishei Children’s Outpatient Center

1001 Main Street
3rd Floor (Giraffe Symbol)
Buffalo, NY 14203

Phone: 716.218.1040

Fax: 716.634.1646

Education

Medical School
Wayne State University School of Medicine

Residency
Henry Ford Health, Neurological Surgery

Fellowships
Pediatric Neurosurgery: Phoenix Children’s Hospital / Barrow Neurological Institute

Advanced Pediatric Spinal Deformity: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Columbia University, New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital

Clinical Expertise & Interests

Oncology
Craniotomy for brain tumors, spinal cord tumor resection with laminoplasty, vertebral tumor resection and spinal stabilization with instrumentation.

General Pediatric Neurosurgery
Endoscopic and endoscopic-assisted craniotomy, endonasal surgery, treatment of hydrocephalus, Chiari malformation, tethered spinal cord release, cerebral column shortening for refractory tethered spinal cord.

Epilepsy
Craniotomy for seizure focus resection, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) placement.

Spine Surgery
Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), minimally invasive spine surgery, disk herniations, complex spinal surgery and deformity correction, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), early onset scoliosis (EOS), neuromuscular scoliosis, kyphosis, spondylolisthesis, spina bifida-related spinal malformations, vertebral column resection, growth-friendly spinal surgery (MAGEC rod, Shilla, traditional growing rods), scoliosis casting and bracing.

Professional Highlights

Dr. Zervos has authored several peer-reviewed publications, co-authored textbooks, and contributed numerous presentations at national and international medical meetings. His current research focuses on advancing the management of pediatric scoliosis, with particular attention to innovative treatment strategies and improving patient outcomes.

Notable Publications

Publications | April 1, 2025

Development of a Classification System for Potential Sources of Error in Robotic-Assisted Spine Surgery

Givens RR, Kim TT, Malka MS, Lu K, Zervos TM, Lombardi J, Sardar Z, Lehman R, Lenke L, Sethi R, Lewis S, Hedequist D, Protopsaltis T, Larson AN, Qureshi S, Carlson B, Skaggs D, Vitale MG. Development of a classification system for potential sources of error in robotic-assisted spine surgery. Spine Deform. 2025 Apr 1. doi: 10.1007/s43390-025-01066-3. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40167985. Free article: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43390-025-01066-3

Publications | March 3, 2025

Building Consensus: Development of a Best Practice Guideline (BPG) for Avoiding Errors in Robotic-Assisted Spine Surgery (RASS)

Vitale MG, Givens RR, Malka MS, Lu K, Zervos TM, Lombardi J, Sardar Z, Lehman R, Lenke L, Sethi R, Lewis S, Hedequist D, Protopsaltis T, Larson AN, Qureshi S, Carlson B, Kim TT, Skaggs D. Building consensus: development of a best practice guideline (BPG) for avoiding errors in robotic-assisted spine surgery (RASS). Spine Deform. 2025 Mar 3. doi: 10.1007/s43390-025-01060-9. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40032795. Free article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40032795/

Publications | September 9, 2024

Endoscopic, Endonasal, Transsphenoidal, Transclival Approach for Resection of Odontoid Process

Zervos TM, Cho S, Prabu S, Little AS, Santarelli GD, Ronecker JS, McClendon J. Operative Neurosurgery, 2024. Free article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39248517/

Publications | February 21, 2023

A Multicenter Allelic Analysis of Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis (DISH): Nature vs. Nurture?

Zervos TM, Sint Jago S, Erwood M, Basheer A, Lee I, Lubin F, Walters B. Neurosurgery, 2023. Free article: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10586868/

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