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Patrick Doherty, MD

Associate Professor of Clinical Neurosurgery
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Additional Titles

Chief of Neurosurgery, Lawrence + Memorial Hospital - New London

About

Titles

Associate Professor of Clinical Neurosurgery

Chief of Neurosurgery, Lawrence + Memorial Hospital - New London

Biography

Dr. Patrick F. Doherty is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at the Yale School of Medicine. He is a board certified neurosurgeon (2002, recertified 2012) and was elected to be a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons in 2012. He is the Chief of Yale Neurosurgery New London, at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London, CT. There, he maintains a full-time clinical practice in collaboration with Yale Neurosurgery. He has particular interest in spinal surgery, but performs a range of cranial surgery as well. At L&M, he is the chairman of the Surgical Services Governance Committee and sits on numerous committees in leadership roles. He is the lead surgeon for the Spine Care Center of Excellence at L+M. He is active in using current strategies to improve patient care and safety, including the Surgical Unit Safety Program, Spine Collaboratives for cost containment, and minimally invasive spine technique development. He has lectured nationally and internationally on the management of degenerative spine care using minimally invasive techniques. He has been listed as a CT Top Doctor each year since 2011. He has been in active practice in New London, CT since 1999.

Appointments

Other Departments & Organizations

Education & Training

Resident
University of Maryland and Shock Trauma (1999)
MD
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Rutgers Medical School (1993)
BA
The Johns Hopkins University (1989)

Research

Publications

2022

2021

2017

Clinical Care

Overview

Yale Medicine neurosurgeon Patrick Doherty, MD, says his first priority is to help patients relax. “Almost every patient who comes to me is stressed,” he says. “They’re concerned, they’re in pain, they know that there’s something wrong with them. My role is to take that stress and flip it around, either with humor or by explaining what is going on that’s causing their pain.” As a neurosurgeon, Dr. Doherty specializes in treating a range of conditions, including herniated discs, spine tumors, traumatic brain injuries, blood clots in the brain and brain trauma. He often uses models, MRI scans, and other images to help patients understand their conditions better and make informed decisions about their care.

Dr. Doherty’s passion for neurosurgery began in medical school, where he met a comatose patient with a subdural hematoma—a condition where broken blood vessels cause blood to pool between the brain and its outer covering. After surgeons removed the blood from the surface of the brain, the patient recovered and left the hospital a week later. Now chief of Yale Medicine neurosurgery at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London, Dr. Doherty continues to have similarly rewarding experiences, including a patient who came into the hospital unable to walk and now competes successfully in stair-climbing competitions.

While brain surgery is a serious matter, Dr. Doherty likes to make sure his patients get a good laugh pr two during their time with him. “A lot of what we deal with is not light, but there's always an opportunity to relate to the patient or their family in a slightly less than serious way, to help them appreciate that you're human, and this relationship is human,” he says.

Clinical Specialties

Neurosurgery; Spine Surgery

Fact Sheets

Board Certifications

  • Neurological Surgery

    Certification Organization
    AB of Neurological Surgery
    Original Certification Date
    2002

Yale Medicine News

Get In Touch

Contacts

Appointment Number
Mailing Address

Neurosurgery

194 Howard Street

New London, CT 06385

United States

Administrative Support

Locations

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