On Sept. 9, the Department of Neurosurgery at Washington University School of Medicine held a symposium honoring Tae Sung Park, MD, the Shi Hui Huang Professor of Neurological Surgery and vice chairman of the department. More than 200 university and hospital executives, local political leaders and neurosurgeons from across the country attended the event, which recognized Dr. Park’s long career helping children and the impact he has had on the field of pediatric neurosurgery.
A highlight of the event were proclamations from Eric Greitens, governor of Missouri, and Lyda Krewson, mayor of the City of St. Louis recognizing Dr. Park’s status as one of the world’s leading pediatric neurosurgeons and the contribution he has made to the region’s economy by drawing patients from around the world.
“Dr. Park is truly a master neurosurgeon,” says David Limbrick, MD, PhD, director of the division of pediatric neurosurgery and neurosurgeon-in-chief at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. “Those of us who have trained with him are privileged to have him as a role model not only as a surgeon, but also as a thoughtful and compassionate physician.”
As a result of his pioneering improvements to a neurosurgical procedure called selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR), Dr. Park is the global expert in managing cerebral palsy spasticity. To date, he has performed more than 3,600 SDR procedures for patients from the U.S. and 72 other countries—by far the largest experience in the world.
Dr. Park joined the School of Medicine in 1989 to establish the division of pediatric neurosurgery. As its chief, Dr. Park developed what many consider to be among the nation’s top three pediatric neurosurgery programs, and he is the founding director of one of the country’s most competitive pediatric neurosurgery fellowships. At Children’s Hospital, he is founding director of the Center for Cerebral Palsy Spasticity and the Brachial Plexus Center. He also is founding director of the Park-Reeves Syringomyelia Research Consortium.
Dr. Park served as chief of the division of pediatric neurosurgery and neurologist-in-chief at Children’s Hospital until his appointment as vice chairman of the department of neurosurgery in June 2016.
“Dr. Park is an incredibly dedicated and passionate physician who cares deeply about our kids and our families. He truly is a guardian of childhood,” says Joan Magruder, president of St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
