Christopher Witiw

MD, MS, FRCSC

Investigator

Biography

Christopher Witiw entered the neurosurgery residency program at the University of Toronto after completing his MD at the University of Manitoba in 2012. During his residency he completed a MS degree with a focus on Health Economics at The University of Chicago after receiving an award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. His thesis on the value of surgery for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy was awarded the prestigious Outstanding Paper Award from the North American Spine Society in 2016. He has received numerous other awards including the Shafie S. Fazel Outstanding Resident Surgeon and Investigator Award from the University of Toronto Department of Surgery and the Alan R. Hudson Neurosurgery Resident Teaching Award from the University of Toronto Division of Neurosurgery. After obtaining his FRCSC in Neurosurgery in 2018, Chris undertook a subspecialty fellowship in Complex and Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Chris returns to Toronto as a Surgeon Investigator at St. Michael’s Hospital where his clinical work is directed toward treating the full spectrum of spinal disorders. He has a specific interest in minimally invasive approaches to spinal conditions. Chris’ research work is centered on Health Economics and Health Services pertinent to spinal pathology and he is especially interested in ‘big data’ analytics as a means to optimize efficiency and quality of spine surgery.

Spine Research Program 

 

Recent Publications

  1. Lozano, CS, Karthikeyan, V, Shakil, H, Malhotra, AK, Pedro, KM, Reda, L et al.. Patient, Hospital and Geographic Factors Associated With Intraoperative Neuromonitoring for Cervical Spine Surgery: A National Analysis. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2025; :. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000005575. PubMed PMID:41277759 .
  2. Lozano, CS, Karthikeyan, V, Shakil, H, Malhotra, AK, Pedro, KM, Mathieu, F et al.. The Economics of Surgical Decision-Making in Geriatric Type II Odontoid Fractures: Reframing the Role of Frailty. Neurosurgery. 2025; :. doi: 10.1227/neu.0000000000003850. PubMed PMID:41222241 .
  3. Ong, WL, Zeng, KL, Moore-Palhares, D, Soliman, H, Myrehaug, S, Detsky, J et al.. Outcomes following stereotactic body radiation therapy specific to spinal metastases with paraspinal disease extension: does volume matter?. J Neurosurg Spine. 2025; :1-9. doi: 10.3171/2025.6.SPINE25376. PubMed PMID:41202272 .
  4. Philip, K, Jolly, A, Diep, C, Savage, RD, Wijeysundera, DN, Witiw, C et al.. Association of loneliness and social isolation with postoperative outcomes: a retrospective registry study. Br J Anaesth. 2025; :. doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2025.09.004. PubMed PMID:41136321 .
  5. Arnold, PM, Harrop, JS, Mariscal, G, Sasso, RC, Steinmetz, MP, Chaput, CD et al.. Adverse Impact of Smoking on Spine Fusion and Patient-Reported Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Global Spine J. 2025; :21925682251383167. doi: 10.1177/21925682251383167. PubMed PMID:41066602 PubMed Central PMC12510999.
  6. Wong, CR, Zhu, A, Urbach, DR, Retrouvey, H, Witiw, C, Baltzer, HL et al.. Cost-Utility Analysis of Ligament Reconstruction Tendon Interposition Versus Suture Suspension Arthroplasty for Thumb Osteoarthritis. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2025;13 (10):e7186. doi: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000007186. PubMed PMID:41059168 PubMed Central PMC12499702.
  7. Malhotra, AK, Lozano, CS, Salaheen, Z, Malvea, A, Shakil, H, Yefet, L et al.. Traumatic spinal cord injury in children and adolescents: a 20-year review from the Hospital for Sick Children. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2025;36 (5):553-562. doi: 10.3171/2025.5.PEDS24641. PubMed PMID:40911932 .
  8. Kato, H, Nishimura, Y, Ginsberg, HJ, Wilson, JR, Witiw, CD, Ahn, H et al.. Radiological Improvements and Clinical Outcomes of Occipitocervical Fusion for Traumatic Cranocervical Junction Instability. World Neurosurg. 2025;202 :124393. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2025.124393. PubMed PMID:40840781 .
  9. Essa, A, Shakil, H, Malhotra, AK, Yuan, EY, Witiw, CD. In Reply: Optimal Tracheostomy Timing After Traumatic Complete Spinal Cord Injury: A Comparative Analysis of Ultraearly, Early, and Delayed Practice. Neurosurgery. 2025;97 (4):e139. doi: 10.1227/neu.0000000000003713. PubMed PMID:40824045 .
  10. Vattipally, VN, Ran, KR, Mukherjee, D, Suarez, JI, Huang, J, Bettegowda, C et al.. Operative neurosurgery for traumatic subdural hematoma: association between trauma center variation and patient outcomes. J Neurosurg. 2025;143 (5):1234-1244. doi: 10.3171/2025.3.JNS242811. PubMed PMID:40712171 .
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Affiliations & Other Activities

Assistant Professor, Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto