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Yale Pediatric Hematology & Oncology
Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven
35 Park Street, Ste 3rd Floor
New Haven, CT 06511
1 of 5
  • Yale Pediatric Hematology & Oncology
    Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven
    35 Park Street, Ste 3rd Floor
    New Haven, CT 06511
  • Yale Neurosurgery
    Yale Physicians Building
    800 Howard Avenue, Ste Lower Level
    New Haven, CT 06519
  • Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital Specialty Centers
    Yale New Haven Children's Hospital
    1 Park Street, Ste West Pavilion, 2nd floor
    New Haven, CT 06504
  • Yale Spine Center
    1 Long Wharf Drive
    Ste 2nd floor
    New Haven, CT 06511
  • Pediatric Specialty Center
    1 Long Wharf Drive
    Fl 2nd
    New Haven, CT 06511

Michael DiLuna, MD, FAANS

Neurosurgery
Telehealth is available
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Patient type treated
Child, Adult
Accepting new patients
Yes
Referral required
From patients or physicians
Board Certified in
Neurological Surgery

Biography

Michael DiLuna, MD, is the chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Yale Medicine. Dr. DiLuna sees adult and children patients with general neurosurgical issues.

Dr. DiLuna first became interested in neurosurgery after seeing a brain surgery during medical school. “It’s kind of like watching a birth or a heart beating—you’re struck by how the procedure’s done, how the patients wakes up, and how they recover,” he says. Soon after that, Dr. DiLuna developed a special interest in taking care of children. “The kids are brave and face their challenges much differently than adults do,” he says. “They have few concerns about their treatments. They just want to go back to school.”

When meeting with his patients and their parents, Dr. DiLuna tries to keep things simple. He explains how the procedure will unfold to the child and helps them understand the process by simulating it with the help of a team of oncologists and social workers. Dr. DiLuna also tries to alleviate the parents’ fears and answer as many of their questions as he can.

In addition to seeing patients, Dr. DiLuna conducts research on how certain genes in the brain might contribute to problems in brain development. He also collaborates with researchers on clinical trials for treatments for neurosurgical conditions. “We're taking care of a complicated part of the body that we don't understand fully,” he says. “Every day we're learning something new. The technology available to us changes so frequently it drives the field forward very quickly.”

Titles

  • Professor of Neurosurgery
  • Program Director, Neurosurgery Residency, Neurosurgery
  • Chief, Pediatric Neurosurgery

Education & Training

  • Fellow
    Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (2010)
  • Resident
    Yale-New Haven Hospital (2009)
  • Intern
    Yale-New Haven Hospital (2004)
  • MD
    Yale University School of Medicine (2003)
  • BS
    Yale College, Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry (1998)

Additional Information

Locations
1
Yale Pediatric Hematology & Oncology
Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven
35 Park Street, Ste 3rd Floor
New Haven, CT 06511
1 of 5
  • Yale Pediatric Hematology & Oncology
    Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven
    35 Park Street, Ste 3rd Floor
    New Haven, CT 06511
  • Yale Neurosurgery
    Yale Physicians Building
    800 Howard Avenue, Ste Lower Level
    New Haven, CT 06519
  • Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital Specialty Centers
    Yale New Haven Children's Hospital
    1 Park Street, Ste West Pavilion, 2nd floor
    New Haven, CT 06504
  • Yale Spine Center
    1 Long Wharf Drive
    Ste 2nd floor
    New Haven, CT 06511
  • Pediatric Specialty Center
    1 Long Wharf Drive
    Fl 2nd
    New Haven, CT 06511

Biography

Michael DiLuna, MD, is the chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Yale Medicine. Dr. DiLuna sees adult and children patients with general neurosurgical issues.

Dr. DiLuna first became interested in neurosurgery after seeing a brain surgery during medical school. “It’s kind of like watching a birth or a heart beating—you’re struck by how the procedure’s done, how the patients wakes up, and how they recover,” he says. Soon after that, Dr. DiLuna developed a special interest in taking care of children. “The kids are brave and face their challenges much differently than adults do,” he says. “They have few concerns about their treatments. They just want to go back to school.”

When meeting with his patients and their parents, Dr. DiLuna tries to keep things simple. He explains how the procedure will unfold to the child and helps them understand the process by simulating it with the help of a team of oncologists and social workers. Dr. DiLuna also tries to alleviate the parents’ fears and answer as many of their questions as he can.

In addition to seeing patients, Dr. DiLuna conducts research on how certain genes in the brain might contribute to problems in brain development. He also collaborates with researchers on clinical trials for treatments for neurosurgical conditions. “We're taking care of a complicated part of the body that we don't understand fully,” he says. “Every day we're learning something new. The technology available to us changes so frequently it drives the field forward very quickly.”

Titles

  • Professor of Neurosurgery
  • Program Director, Neurosurgery Residency, Neurosurgery
  • Chief, Pediatric Neurosurgery

Education & Training

  • Fellow
    Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (2010)
  • Resident
    Yale-New Haven Hospital (2009)
  • Intern
    Yale-New Haven Hospital (2004)
  • MD
    Yale University School of Medicine (2003)
  • BS
    Yale College, Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry (1998)

Additional Information

Locations
1
Yale Pediatric Hematology & Oncology
Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven
35 Park Street, Ste 3rd Floor
New Haven, CT 06511
1 of 5
  • Yale Pediatric Hematology & Oncology
    Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven
    35 Park Street, Ste 3rd Floor
    New Haven, CT 06511
  • Yale Neurosurgery
    Yale Physicians Building
    800 Howard Avenue, Ste Lower Level
    New Haven, CT 06519
  • Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital Specialty Centers
    Yale New Haven Children's Hospital
    1 Park Street, Ste West Pavilion, 2nd floor
    New Haven, CT 06504
  • Yale Spine Center
    1 Long Wharf Drive
    Ste 2nd floor
    New Haven, CT 06511
  • Pediatric Specialty Center
    1 Long Wharf Drive
    Fl 2nd
    New Haven, CT 06511
1
Yale Pediatric Hematology & Oncology
Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven
35 Park Street, Ste 3rd Floor
New Haven, CT 06511
1 of 5
  • Yale Pediatric Hematology & Oncology
    Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven
    35 Park Street, Ste 3rd Floor
    New Haven, CT 06511
  • Yale Neurosurgery
    Yale Physicians Building
    800 Howard Avenue, Ste Lower Level
    New Haven, CT 06519
  • Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital Specialty Centers
    Yale New Haven Children's Hospital
    1 Park Street, Ste West Pavilion, 2nd floor
    New Haven, CT 06504
  • Yale Spine Center
    1 Long Wharf Drive
    Ste 2nd floor
    New Haven, CT 06511
  • Pediatric Specialty Center
    1 Long Wharf Drive
    Fl 2nd
    New Haven, CT 06511