Meet Our Neurosurgeon

Dr. Robert Hirschl is a neurosurgeon at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines,Iowa.  He completed his medical school training and neurosurgery residency at The Ohio State University.  He also completed a neuro-interventional endovascular fellowship at The Ohio State University Medical Center.

Dr. Hirschl’s distinctions include receiving the highest score on the neurosurgery written board exam in the history of the storied neurosurgical program at The Ohio State University.  He also has the distinct honor of being the only United States trained neurosurgery resident in history to be given attending privileges during his training. Dr. Hirschl was the director of endovascular neurosurgery at The Ohio State University during this time.  In May of 2010 he was recognized by the Ohio State University Medical Center for his clinical skills in Neurosurgery and received the prestigious Clinical excellence award.  

Dr. Hirschl has an interest in complex spinal surgery, minimally invasive spinal surgery, spinal oncology, brain tumors, cerebral aneurysms, neuro trauma to the brain and spine, as well as general neurosurgery. Dr. Hirschl is the only neurosurgeon in Des Moines and only one of two in the entire state of Iowa that is trained to both clip and coil aneurysms.

Dr. Hirschl has many research interests and is well published in highly respected peer reviewed journals.  He has published in the Journal of Neurosurgery, Skull Base, Journal of Pediatric Neurology, and Journal of Robotic Surgery.

Dr. Hirschl was also the author of the brain tumor embolization chapter in the most recent version of Youman’s Neurological Surgery textbook that was published in June 2011.  Youman’s Neurological Surgery is the most respected and highly used textbook in all of Neurosurgery.  

Dr. Hirschl has also invented several spinal instrumentation devices. He has been an invited guest lecturer for his expertise in cerebral vascular disorders and spinal surgery throughout the country.