A Collaborative Approach
To Complex Care.
Referral information for neurologists, epileptologists, physiatrists, pain specialists, rheumatologists, psychiatrists, primary care clinicians, and other referring professionals. Dr. Bari is Vice Chair of Neurosurgery and Director of Functional and Epilepsy Neurosurgery at UCLA.
When To Consider Referral.
- Movement disorders (essential tremor, Parkinson’s disease, dystonia) with persistent functional impairment despite first-line medication, referred by a movement disorders neurologist who has confirmed the diagnosis and, for Parkinson’s disease, optimized dosing. Neurologists outside UCLA are welcome to refer directly; patients without a movement disorders neurologist can be connected with one.
- Drug-resistant epilepsy: please refer first to the UCLA epilepsy neurologists for the presurgical workup (video-EEG, MRI, PET, neuropsychology, and stereo-EEG when needed). The multidisciplinary team then determines surgical candidacy and which procedures apply, and Dr. Bari sees the patient for the surgical consultation.
- Selected persistent neuropathic pain conditions, including trigeminal neuralgia, after appropriate evaluation and treatment.
- Hemifacial spasm, for microvascular decompression, once the diagnosis is established and the patient has tried or declined botulinum toxin. Please include the MRI.
- Chronic ischemic stroke with persistent arm impairment for assessment of paired VNS and rehabilitation.
- Peripheral nerve compression, injury, or tumor requiring surgical evaluation. Please include imaging of the affected region (MRI with and without contrast, with nerve imaging when available), an EMG and nerve conduction study of the affected extremity, and documentation that medications and other therapies, including injections from a pain specialist, have been tried.
- Treatment-resistant OCD for DBS under the humanitarian device exemption, and treatment-resistant depression for the TRANSCEND DBS trial, in coordination with psychiatry.
- Moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis with an inadequate response to at least one biologic or JAK inhibitor, for SetPoint vagus nerve stimulation, with the referring rheumatologist.
- Cancer pain requiring a neurosurgical option, and candidates for open clinical trials (see Clinical Trials).
Information That Supports The Consultation.
- The clinical question, working diagnosis, and effect on daily function.
- Relevant specialist notes, medication trials, therapies, and treatment responses.
- Prior procedures, relevant imaging and reports, and pertinent medical history.
- For Parkinson’s disease: an on and off levodopa assessment with UPDRS part III scores, if available.
- For essential tremor: spiral drawings and handwriting samples, if available.
- Prior neuropsychological assessment, if available and applicable.
How The Collaboration Works.
Initial consultations can be done by video for patients who travel. Skull CT and MRI are done in a single visit, and focused ultrasound is typically scheduled within four to six weeks of consultation. Dr. Bari performs the evaluation, the procedure, and the follow-up himself, and post-procedure visits can be done remotely with imaging obtained locally. You receive a note after every encounter, and your patient remains under your care for ongoing neurological management.
Testing requirements vary by condition and procedure. Please coordinate with the scheduling team before arranging additional investigations solely for referral.
Coordinate The Referral.
Call the neurosurgery scheduling team at 310-825-5111 for current scheduling and secure record-transfer instructions.