Hugh James Lauriston Garton, MD

Hugh J.L. Garton, M.D, MHSc is the Richard G Schneider Associate Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois where he was a graduate of the Honors Program in Medical Education. He completed his surgical internship and neurosurgical residency in 1997 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah under the direction of Dr. M. Peter Heilbrun and Dr. Marion Walker. Follow residency training he was invited to be Fellow in Clinical Trials at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada and obtained a Masters Degree in Health Sciences with concentrations in Clinical Epidemiology and Clinical Trials, under the supervision of Dr. John Kestle.

After completing his residency and post graduate training, he completed Fellowship training in Pediatric Neurosurgery at Indiana University, Riley Hospital for Children then joined the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Michigan in the fall of 1999. He currently serves as chief of the Pediatric Neurosurgery Service and is the Director of Quality and Safety at the Children’s and Womens Hospital OR.

His clinical practice encompasses all areas of Pediatric Neurosurgery with special interests in hydrocephalus, cerebrospinal fluid shunts, neuroendoscopy, myelomeningocele, including fetal surgery, brain tumors, pituitary lesions, the surgical management of epilepsy and spacticity, pediatric neurotrauma and pediatric spinal instability.

His research interests include hydrocephalus, myelomeningocele, clinical trials and outcomes in neurosurgery, clinical prediction of shunt malfunction, economic assessments of the treatments of hydrocephalus and the surgical management of intractable spasticity.

Dr. Garton is Board Certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery and the American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery.

He is married, with three grown children, all gradulates of the University of Michigan and enjoys rock climbing, running and cycling.

Select Publications:

1. Garton HJL, Kestle JRWK, Drake JM: Predicting shunt failure from clinical symptoms and signs. Journal of Neurosurgery 94:202-210, 2001.

2. Garton HJL, Kestle JRW, Cochrane DD, Steinbok, P: A cost effectiveness analysis of endoscopic third ventriculostomy. Neurosurgery 51:69-78, 2002.

3. Steinbok P, Garton HJL, Gupta N: The occult tethered cord syndrome: a survey of practice patterns. Journal of Neurosurgery (Pediatrics) 104 (5 Suppl):309-313, 2006.

4. Al-Holou WN, Maher CO, Muraszko KM, Garton HJ L: The natural history of pineal cysts in children and young adults. J Neurosurg Pediatr.5(2): 162-166, 02/2010. PMID: 20121364

5. Strahle J, Muraszko KM, Kapurch J, Bapuraj JR, Garton HJ L, Maher CO: Natural history of Chiari malformation Type I following decision for conservative treatment: Clinical article. Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics.8(2): 214-221, 08/2011. PMID 21806365

6. Strahle J, Selzer BJ, Geh N, Srinivasan D, Strahle M, Martinez-Sosa M, Muraszko KM, Garton HJ L, Maher CO: Sports participation with arachnoid cysts. J Neurosurg Pediatr.17(4): 410-417, 04/2016. PMID: 26636254

7. Ye F, Hua Y, Keep RF, Xi G, Garton HJ L: CD47 blocking antibody accelerates hematoma clearance and alleviates hydrocephalus after experimental intraventricular hemorrhage. Neurobiol Dis.155: 105384, 07/2021. PMID: 33945877

Pituitary and neuroendocrinology disorders, hydrocephalus, cerebrospinal fluid shunts, myelomeningocele, brain tumors, CNS tumors, refractory epilepsy, the surgical management of epilepsy and spasticity, spasticity and cerebral palsy, vascular anomalies, pediatric neurotrauma, and pediatric spinal instability.

University of Michigan Health participates with most health insurance plans.

Clinical Epidemiology, Clinical Trials and Outcomes in Neurosurgery, Prediction of Shunt Malfunction based on Clinical Signs and Symptoms, Outcomes after Mild and Moderate Head Injury. Management of Severe Head Injury, Economic analysis of Endoscopic 3rd ventriculostomy. Cervical spine injury.