Community Care

Residents of the South Bay don’t need to travel far from home for highly specialized brain and spine surgery.

If you or a loved one is facing a serious neurological condition, choosing the right care team is critical. While patients may assume they must travel to major academic centers for advanced neurosurgical care, that level of expertise is available closer to home.

For nearly a decade, the South Bay neurosurgery team at Pacific Neuroscience Institute has been offering comprehensive, world-class brain and spine care right here in the South Bay. The team is composed of four nationally recognized, fellowship-trained, board-certified neurosurgeons—each with a distinct subspecialty focus. Together they provide academic-level care for complex disorders of the brain, head, spine, neck and back.

Walavan Sivakumar, MD, is the director of the Stroke and Neurovascular Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute and the director of neurosurgery for PNI–South Bay. His expertise includes the surgical management of brain, skull base and pituitary tumors, as well as cerebrovascular and stroke-related surgical care using minimally invasive and endoscopic approaches.

Jean-Philippe Langevin, MD, leads the restorative neurosurgery and deep brain stimulation program and is the co-director of the Pacific Spine Health Center. His work focuses on surgical treatments for movement disorders and advanced spine conditions, with an emphasis on neuromodulation and functional restoration.

As co-director of the Pacific Spine Health Center, Jian Guan, MD, specializes in spine neurosurgery and practices at both PNI–South Bay and the Spine Institute at Providence Little Company of Mary. His expertise includes degenerative spine disease, spinal deformity and minimally invasive spine surgery designed to restore function and reduce downtime.

Marcus Mazur, MD, is a spine neurosurgeon with specialized expertise in complex spine surgery, revision and reconstructive spine surgery, spine deformity and scoliosis. He treats disorders of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. He uses minimally invasive surgical techniques whenever feasible and incorporates advanced surgical planning techniques and innovative spine technology to optimize outcomes.

While each surgeon brings a highly specialized skill set, the group functions as a coordinated and collaborative unit. This integrated, team-based model allows patients to receive comprehensive evaluations and individualized treatment plans—drawing on the collective expertise of the entire group.

A shared commitment to minimally invasive techniques, enhanced recovery and personalized care is central to the team’s philosophy. By leveraging advanced technologies and less-invasive surgical approaches, the surgeons aim to reduce recovery times, minimize complications and help patients return to daily life more quickly.

Access is another defining feature of the South Bay program. The team offers sameweek consultations, streamlined diagnostic workups and timely access to surgery when needed. Care is coordinated within the broader Pacific Neuroscience Institute network, enabling seamless collaboration across specialties, advanced imaging and comprehensive postoperative support.

“For too long, patients in the South Bay felt they had to leave their community for world-class brain and spine care,” says Dr. Sivakumar. “Our team brings that level of expertise directly to them—academic-caliber neurosurgery, delivered with local access, compassion and efficiency. It’s a game changer for patients and for the region as a whole.”