Lance S Governale

Lance S Governale, MD, FAANS, FAAP

Chief And Clinical Professor

Department: MD-NEUROLOGICAL SURGERY
Business Phone: (352) 273-9000

About Lance S Governale

Lance S. Governale, MD, FAANS, FAAP, is the Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital and the L.D. Hupp Professor of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics at the University of Florida College of Medicine. He joined UF in 2017 after serving as a pediatric neurosurgeon at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and as an assistant professor of neurosurgery at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

Dr. Governale obtained a Bachelor of Science in physiology and neurobiology from the University of Maryland, research training from the National Institutes of Health and a medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He then stayed at Harvard to complete neurosurgical residency training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and pediatric neurosurgical fellowship training at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Governale has received awards from his colleagues for excellence in research, teaching and clinical care, including the Harvard Medical School Richardson Research Fellowship for MD Scientists, a nomination for the Harvard Medical School Faculty Prize for Excellence in Teaching, and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons Educator of the Year Award. He has also been named a Castle Connolly Top Doctor in Pediatric Neurosurgery. Dr. Governale’s research interests focus on clinical outcomes, quality improvement and medical informatics. He is a member of multiple professional societies, including the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Although he enjoys the full range of pediatric neurosurgery, Dr. Governale is especially interested in craniosynostosis, minimally invasive neurosurgery (including endoscopic treatment of hydrocephalus and craniosynostosis), brain/spinal cord tumors, tethered spinal cords, arachnoid cysts and cavernous malformations. He is board certified by both the American Board of Neurological Surgery and the American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery.

Dr. Governale sees patients in the office at UF Health’s Gainesville, Tallahassee, Ocala and Lake City locations. Surgery is performed at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital in Gainesville.

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Teaching Profile

Courses Taught
2018
MDC7600 Surgery Clerkship
2018
MDT7650 Elect Top/Neurol Surg

Board Certifications

  • Neurosurgery
    American Board of Neurological Surgery
  • Pediatric Neurosurgery
    American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery

Clinical Profile

Specialties
  • Neurosurgery
Subspecialties
  • Pediatric Neurosurgery
Areas of Interest
  • Arachnoid cyst
  • Brain Tumors
  • Chiari malformations
  • Craniosynostosis
  • Hydrocephalus
  • Myelomeningocele
  • Pediatric Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors
  • Spina bifida – resources
  • Syringomyelia

Publications

Academic Articles
2024
Prognostic and Diagnostic Utility of Serum Biomarkers in Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury.
Journal of neurotrauma. 41(1-2):106-122 [DOI] 10.1089/neu.2023.0039. [PMID] 37646421.
2023
Considerations for Choice of Cranioplasty Material for Pediatric Patients.
Pediatric neurosurgery. 58(1):1-7 [DOI] 10.1159/000528543. [PMID] 36477047.
2023
Impact of Low-Dose Computed Tomography and Physician Education on Referral for Head Shape.
The Journal of craniofacial surgery. 34(7):1989-1993 [DOI] 10.1097/SCS.0000000000009530. [PMID] 37431936.
2023
Ventriculo-inferior-venacaval shunt salvage via endovascular surgery.
British journal of neurosurgery. 1-3 [DOI] 10.1080/02688697.2023.2233619. [PMID] 37424104.
2022
Craniosynostosis Surgery for Increased Intracranial Pressure.
The Journal of craniofacial surgery. 33(5):1454-1457 [DOI] 10.1097/SCS.0000000000008357. [PMID] 34732671.
2022
Pediatric craniosynostosis computed tomography: an institutional experience in reducing radiation dose while maintaining diagnostic image quality.
Pediatric radiology. 52(1):85-96 [DOI] 10.1007/s00247-021-05205-6. [PMID] 34731286.
2022
The current landscape of immunotherapy for pediatric brain tumors.
Nature cancer. 3(1):11-24 [DOI] 10.1038/s43018-021-00319-0. [PMID] 35121998.
2021
Comparison of Perioperative Outcomes and Parental Satisfaction Outcomes of Strip Craniectomy with Postoperative Helmet versus Spring-Mediated Remodeling in Sagittal Craniosynostosis.
Pediatric neurosurgery. 56(6):511-518 [DOI] 10.1159/000517118. [PMID] 34455408.
2021
Recurrent Cerebrospinal Leak After Endonasal Cranial Base Surgery in a 4-Year-Old Male: Challenges for Postoperative Management.
Ear, nose, & throat journal. 100(5_suppl):472S-474S [DOI] 10.1177/0145561319880428. [PMID] 31640409.
2021
Spring-assisted minimally invasive repair of sagittal craniosynostosis.
Neurosurgical focus: Video. 4(2) [DOI] 10.3171/2021.1.FOCVID20103. [PMID] 36284842.
2020
Identifying the Misshapen Head: Craniosynostosis and Related Disorders.
Pediatrics. 146(3) [DOI] 10.1542/peds.2020-015511. [PMID] 32868470.
2020
Pediatric pathology all grown up – An interesting case of adult tethered spinal cord.
Surgical neurology international. 11 [DOI] 10.25259/SNI_641_2020. [PMID] 33194295.
2019
Germinoma Involving the Retina: An Unusual Presentation of Recurrent Intracranial Mixed Germ Cell Tumor.
World neurosurgery. 124:116-120 [DOI] 10.1016/j.wneu.2018.12.143. [PMID] 30630044.
2019
Pediatrics.
Operative neurosurgery (Hagerstown, Md.). 17(Suppl 2):S182-S208 [DOI] 10.1093/ons/opz078. [PMID] 31099844.
2019
The Preventable Shunt Revision Rate: A Multicenter Evaluation.
Neurosurgery. 84(3):788-798 [DOI] 10.1093/neuros/nyy263. [PMID] 29982642.
2018
A Retrospective Study of Cervical Spine MRI Findings in Children with Abusive Head Trauma.
Pediatric neurosurgery. 53(1):36-42 [DOI] 10.1159/000481511. [PMID] 29084406.
2017
A Persistent Mendosal Suture Presenting With Bathrocephaly.
Pediatric neurology. 73 [DOI] 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2017.04.019. [PMID] 28549653.
2017
Predictors of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Failure in Children Undergoing Initial Placement or Revision.
Pediatric neurosurgery. 52(1):6-12 [PMID] 27490129.
2017
Pygopagus Conjoined Twins: A Neurophysiologic Intraoperative Monitoring Schema.
Journal of clinical neurophysiology : official publication of the American Electroencephalographic Society. 34(2):e5-e8 [DOI] 10.1097/WNP.0000000000000343. [PMID] 27749617.
2015
Craniosynostosis.
Pediatric neurology. 53(5):394-401 [DOI] 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2015.07.006. [PMID] 26371995.
2015
Minimally invasive pediatric neurosurgery.
Pediatric neurology. 52(4):389-97 [DOI] 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2014.08.036. [PMID] 25771997.
2014
Recurrence after gross-total resection of low-grade pediatric brain tumors: the frequency and timing of postoperative imaging.
Journal of neurosurgery. Pediatrics. 14(4):356-64 [DOI] 10.3171/2014.6.PEDS1321. [PMID] 25062303.
2014
Resolution of Chiari-associated syringomyelia.
Pediatric neurology. 50(5):542-3 [DOI] 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2014.01.033. [PMID] 24656664.
2014
Synovial chondromatosis of the cervical spine: a case report and review of the literature.
Pediatric and developmental pathology : the official journal of the Society for Pediatric Pathology and the Paediatric Pathology Society. 17(3):221-5 [DOI] 10.2350/14-02-1445-CR.1. [PMID] 24650324.
2014
Thoracolumbar spinal vascular malformation as a rare cause of isolated intraventricular hemorrhage.
Journal of neurosurgery. Pediatrics. 14(1):12-5 [DOI] 10.3171/2014.3.PEDS13565. [PMID] 24784978.
2012
Carotid endarterectomy with primary closure: analysis of outcomes and review of the literature.
Neurosurgery. 70(3):646-54; discussion 654 [DOI] 10.1227/NEU.0b013e3182351de0. [PMID] 21904262.
2012
Surgical treatment for primary spinal aneurysmal bone cysts: experience from Children’s Hospital Boston.
Journal of neurosurgery. Pediatrics. 9(3):305-15 [DOI] 10.3171/2011.12.PEDS11253. [PMID] 22380960.
2012
The management of skull base tumors.
Handbook of clinical neurology. 105:657-64 [DOI] 10.1016/B978-0-444-53502-3.00015-X. [PMID] 22230525.
2011
Idiopathic syrinx in the pediatric population: a combined center experience.
Journal of neurosurgery. Pediatrics. 7(1):30-6 [DOI] 10.3171/2010.10.PEDS1057. [PMID] 21194284.
2011
Use of a simple internal fiducial as an adjunct to enhance intraoperative ultrasound-assisted guidance: technical note.
Neurosurgery. 69(1 Suppl Operative):ons34-9; discussion ons39 [DOI] 10.1227/NEU.0b013e3182124851. [PMID] 21346649.
2010
Intraoperative conversion from endoscopic to microscopic approach for the management of sellar pathology: incidence and rationale in a contemporary series.
World neurosurgery. 73(4):334-7 [DOI] 10.1016/j.wneu.2010.02.069. [PMID] 20849788.
2010
Midline filum of the sellar dura: a useful landmark during endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery.
Neurosurgery. 67(2 Suppl Operative):391-4 [DOI] 10.1227/NEU.0b013e3181f74269. [PMID] 21099563.
2008
Techniques and complications of external lumbar drainage for normal pressure hydrocephalus.
Neurosurgery. 63(4 Suppl 2):379-84; discussion 384 [DOI] 10.1227/01.NEU.0000327023.18220.88. [PMID] 18981847.
2003
Surgical management of lumbosacral nerve root hemangioblastomas in von Hippel-Lindau syndrome.
Journal of neurosurgery. 99(1 Suppl):64-9 [PMID] 12859062.
2001
Fibrous meningioma in a patient with von Hippel-Lindau disease: a genetic analysis.
Journal of neurosurgery. 95(6):1045-9 [PMID] 11765821.
2000
Somatic von Hippel-Lindau gene mutations detected in sporadic endolymphatic sac tumors.
Cancer research. 60(21):5963-5 [PMID] 11085513.
1999
Variables affecting convection-enhanced delivery to the striatum: a systematic examination of rate of infusion, cannula size, infusate concentration, and tissue-cannula sealing time.
Journal of neurosurgery. 90(2):315-20 [PMID] 9950503.
1998
Direct convective delivery of macromolecules to peripheral nerves.
Journal of neurosurgery. 89(4):610-5 [PMID] 9761055.

Grants

Dec 2018 – May 2023
A randomized, blinded study of fluorescence detection of pediatric primary central nervous system tumors in subjects receiving tozuleristide and imaged with the Canvas System
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: UNIV OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO via SEATTLE CHILDRENS HOSPITAL

Education

Fellowship
2010-2011 · Harvard – Boston Children’s Hospital
Residency
2003-2010 · Harvard – Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Medical Degree
1999-2003 · Harvard Medical School

Contact Details

Phones:
Business:
(352) 273-9000
Administrative Assistant:
Addresses:
Business Mailing:
PO Box 100265
GAINESVILLE FL 32610
Business Street:
1329 SW 16th Street, Suite 3150
Department of Neurosurgery
Gainesville FL 32608