James A Killeffer, M.D.

Dr. James Killeffer, M.D. has practiced neurosurgery in Knoxville since 1997. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery and is a Fellow of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. He grew up in Knoxville and graduated from the University of Tennessee with Honors in 1987. He completed medical school at the University of Tennessee in Memphis, completed a general surgery internship at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, and completed his neurosurgical residency at West Virginia University, where he joined their faculty as an Instructor in Neurosurgery. He returned to Knoxville to join his father in practice at University Neurosurgery, PC.

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Dr. Killeffer became a full-time member of the faculty of the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine in 2006. His duties there as Chief of the Division of Neurosurgery and Assistant Professor of Surgery include directing resident and medical student education and participating in neurosurgery-related research.

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He has published articles on numerous topics including cervical spine anatomy, spinal imaging, intracranial subdural hematoma, brain tumors, spinal anomalies, intravenous nutrition, and the socio-economic aspects of neurosurgery. Currently, he is collaborating with members of the Engineering Department at the University of Tennessee and with engineers in the private sector in research involving cerebrospinal fluid flow dynamics and the kinematics of brain trauma. He also is working with engineers to develop implants to improve the treatment of cerebrospinal fluid circulation disorders.

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Dr. Killeffer’s clinical practice includes treatment of a broad spectrum of adult neurosurgical problems including the brain, spine, and peripheral nerve surgery. Special interests include minimally invasive techniques in brain and spinal surgery, endoscopic pituitary surgery, trigeminal neuralgia, and hemifacial spasm, and surgical neuro-oncology, including brain and spinal stereotactic radiosurgery. He practices at an academic teaching hospital to give his patients access to the state-of-the-art comprehensive care of neurosurgical problems.