Dagoberto Estevez-Ordonez, M.D., Ph.D. Neurosurgeon
Primary Appointment Location
Neurosurgery Clinic
501 Jack Stephens Drive
UAMS Jackson T. Stephens Spine and Neuroscience Institute
Little Rock, AR 72205
- Appointment Phone Number
- 501-686-5270
New and Returning Patients
Overview
- Areas of Expertise
- Brain and Spine Cancer Care
- Neurosurgery
- Head and Neck Cancer Care
- Neurofibromatosis
- Accepting New Patients
- Yes (Referral Required)
- Provides Second Opinion
- Yes
- Patient Type
- Adults
- Languages
- English, Spanish, Portuguese
About Dr. Estevez-Ordonez
Clinical Biography
Dagoberto Estevez-Ordonez, M.D., Ph.D., is a UAMS Health neurosurgeon with advanced fellowship training in surgical neuro-oncology and skull base surgery. He cares for adults with brain and skull base tumors, including gliomas and glioblastoma, brain metastases, meningiomas, pituitary and parasellar tumors, vestibular schwannomas, and other complex tumors involving the skull base, cranial nerves or major blood vessels. His practice includes the evaluation and surgical treatment of all types of adult brain tumors, from common tumors to rare or particularly difficult or challenging brain tumors. He also treats tumors that affect important functions such as hearing, vision, eye movement, facial sensation and movement, or swallowing.
His approach is individualized: rather than favoring one operation for every patient, he selects from open microsurgery, endoscopic endonasal surgery through the nose, transorbital approaches and other minimally invasive techniques based on the tumor, anatomy, treatment goals and the patient’s overall needs. He works closely with multidisciplinary colleagues to consider surgery alongside other options such as observation, radiation or radiosurgery, medical therapy and clinical trials when appropriate. He also treats selected cerebrovascular conditions requiring open microsurgery and other complex cranial disorders. As a physician-scientist, Dr. Estevez-Ordonez is actively involved in brain tumor research, with the goal of bringing new knowledge, technology and therapies into patient care. He believes patients should understand their diagnosis, the options available to them and the reasons behind the treatment being recommended.
Clinical Focus
Dr. Estevez-Ordonez specializes in brain and skull base tumor surgery, with a particular focus on complex skull base tumors, including meningiomas, pituitary and parasellar tumors, vestibular schwannomas, tumors involving the cranial nerves, and tumors involving or adjacent to major blood vessels. He treats all types of adult brain tumors, including primary and metastatic brain tumors, gliomas and glioblastoma. His practice also includes selected cerebrovascular lesions requiring open microsurgery, trigeminal neuralgia, hemifacial spasm and other complex cranial disorders.
Dr. Estevez-Ordonez's Academic Background
Academic Biography
Dr. Estevez-Ordonez was born and raised in Honduras. He earned a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from Brigham Young University and his medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. During medical school, he completed NIH-supported global health research studying cancer epidemiology in Honduras, an experience that helped shape his interest in academic medicine and cancer research.
He completed neurological surgery residency and chief residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he also earned a doctorate in neuroscience and cell biology through the ARISE-MD physician-scientist training program. He subsequently completed advanced fellowship training in surgical neuro-oncology and skull base surgery at the University of Miami and Jackson Health System, with training in complex brain tumor surgery, open and endoscopic skull base surgery, pituitary and clival lesions, transorbital approaches and radiosurgery.
He is now an assistant professor of neurosurgery and assistant director of the Neurosurgical Skills Lab at UAMS. Education and mentorship are important parts of his academic work, and he has developed and taught cranial and skull base anatomy and surgical dissection courses while mentoring medical students and trainees interested in neurosurgery and research.
Faculty Appointments
- Department of Neurosurgery
- Assistant Professor
Education and Training
- Medical School
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
- Chief Residency
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Residency
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Postgraduate Education
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
Ph.D. In Neurosciences
Professional Certifications
- American Board of Neurological Surgery — Neurological Surgery
Associations
- Alpha Omega Alpha
- American Association of Neurological Surgeons
- Congress of Neurological Surgeons
- American Medical Association
Dr. Estevez-Ordonez's Research
Dr. Estevez-Ordonez is a physician-scientist whose research focuses on improving treatment for malignant gliomas and other brain and skull base tumors. His Ph.D. research examined glioblastoma and immunovirotherapy using genetically engineered oncolytic herpes simplex viruses, and he has participated in clinical and translational research involving M032, an IL-12-expressing oncolytic HSV-1 studied in patients with malignant glioma. His ongoing work spans translational and clinical research, including biomarkers of response to oncolytic virotherapy, tumor and viral genomics, multi-omics and bioinformatics, cellular and viral immunotherapies, clinical outcomes, disparities in brain tumor care, and research involving pituitary and skull base tumors. He has received NIH-supported research training and other competitive research funding and has authored or coauthored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications. At UAMS, his goal is to integrate laboratory investigation, clinical data and clinical trials to develop and evaluate new approaches for patients with difficult brain tumors.
Research Interests
Dr. Estevez-Ordonez's research interests include brain and skull base tumors; glioma and glioblastoma biology; oncolytic viral therapy and cancer immunotherapy; clinical trials; tumor genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and multi-omics; bioinformatics and biomarker discovery; pituitary and skull base tumor outcomes; radiomics and imaging biomarkers; disparities and epidemiology in neuro-oncology; cancer registries and global health; and translational research aimed at developing more individualized treatment strategiesSelected Publications
- Otaner F, Himic V, Vargas LO, Abikenari M, Pandey N, Sivanathan S, Kalmanson O, Govindan A, Jung D, Estevez-Ordonez D, Wang A, Jeyaretna S, Shah AH, Komotar RJ, Gampel B, Dinh C, Ivan ME. Vestibular schwannoma: genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, hearing loss, and emerging therapies. J Neurooncol. 2026 May 16; 178(1):. doi: 10.1007/s11060-026-05621-4 PMID: 42143176.
View in Pubmed: 42143176 - Atchley TJ, Gross E, Estevez-Ordonez D, Hadley MN. Role of α1-antagonists in postoperative urinary retention following lumbar spine surgery: a propensity score-matched analysis. J Neurosurg Spine. 2026 May 15; 45(2):169-175. doi: 10.3171/2026.1.SPINE25406 PMID: 42139734.
View in Pubmed: 42139734 - Ramsoomair CK, Daftari M, Benchouia R, Estevez-Ordonez D, Aka A, Himic V, Aramburu-Berckemeyer M, Kreatsoulas D, Govindarajan V, Chandar JS, Ivan ME, Komotar RJ, Shah A. Locoregional delivery of CAR T cells in high-grade gliomas: a systematic analysis of safety, efficacy, and emerging biomarkers of response. J Immunother Cancer. 2026 Mar 27; 14(3):. doi: 10.1136/jitc-2025-014450 PMID: 41895715.
View in Pubmed: 41895715 - Sun Y, Lobbous M, Riley K, Maleknia P, Stein J, Laskay N, Atchley T, Markert J, Estevez-Ordonez D, Nabors B. Postoperative Seizure in Patients with Malignant Glioma Undergoing Tumor Resection with Intraoperative Mapping: Risk Factors, Management Strategies, and the Utility of Bayesian Analysis in a Case-Control Cohort. Res Sq. 2026 Feb 10; ():. pii: rs.3.rs-8705953. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8705953/v1 PMID: 41727622.
View in Pubmed: 41727622 - Sun Y, Hamo M, Atchley T, Markert JM, Nabors B, Estevez-Ordonez D. Survival outcomes associated with antidepressant use in glioblastoma: a cohort study. J Neurooncol. 2025 Oct 27; 176(1):47. doi: 10.1007/s11060-025-05288-3 PMID: 41144062.
View in Pubmed: 41144062 - Hamo MA, Sun Y, Jarrell M, Atchley T, Laskay NMB, Estevez-Ordonez D, Liptrap EJ. Neurosurgical Teleconsultation Safety for Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries and Low-Grade Blunt Cerebrovascular Injuries. Neurosurgery. 2026 Jun 1; 98(6):1317-1324. doi: 10.1227/neu.0000000000003812 PMID: 41104914.
View in Pubmed: 41104914 - Sun Y, Hamo M, Atchley T, Markert JM, Nabors B, Estevez-Ordonez D. Survival Outcomes Associated with Antidepressant Use in Glioblastoma: A Cohort Study. Res Sq. 2025 Aug 19; ():. pii: rs.3.rs-7339610. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7339610/v1 PMID: 40894022.
View in Pubmed: 40894022 - Sun Y, Hamo M, Atchley T, Nabors B, Markert J, Estevez-Ordonez D. The effect of antidepressants on glioblastoma survival: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurooncol Adv. 2025 Jan-Dec; 7(1):vdaf075. doi: 10.1093/noajnl/vdaf075 PMID: 40612291.
View in Pubmed: 40612291 - Rifkin SB, Montalvan-Sanchez EE, Norwood DA, Estevez-Ordonez D, Montalvan-Sanchez D, Rodriguez-Murillo A, Dominguez RL, Morgan DR. Aspirin Use Is Protective Against Gastric Cancer in a High-Incidence Region of Central America. Dig Dis Sci. 2025 Sep; 70(9):3126-3134. doi: 10.1007/s10620-025-09042-7 PMID: 40478405.
View in Pubmed: 40478405 - Hamo M, Sun Y, Barrentine B, Atchley T, Estevez-Ordonez D, Harrigan MR. Thrombectomy for Patients With Large-Volume Ischemic Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 6 Randomized Trials. Neurosurgery. 2025 Nov 1; 97(5):1021-1031. doi: 10.1227/neu.0000000000003519 PMID: 40387344.
View in Pubmed: 40387344 - Hale AT, Savage C, Estevez-Ordonez D, Oliver T, Hedaya A, Wang S, Ragheb J, Vignoli A, Carlson C, Liu T, Yuan L, Wang Y, Chivukula S, Fallah A, Mohamed I, Bebin EM, Rozzelle CJ, Weiner HL, Liang S, Blount JP. Epilepsy surgery outcomes in children with tuberous sclerosis complex: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2025 Jun 1; 35(6):599-611. doi: 10.3171/2024.12.PEDS24311 PMID: 40215622.
View in Pubmed: 40215622 - Sun Y, Estevez-Ordonez D, Atchley TJ, Nabors B, M Markert J. The association of neighborhood-level deprivation with glioblastoma outcomes: a single center cohort study. J Neurooncol. 2025 Jun; 173(2):457-467. doi: 10.1007/s11060-025-05002-3 PMID: 40193021.
View in Pubmed: 40193021 - Sun Y, Estevez-Ordonez D, Atchley TJ, Nabors B, Markert J. The Association of Neighborhood-Level Deprivation with Glioblastoma Outcomes: A Single Center Cohort Study. Res Sq. 2025 Jan 30; ():. pii: rs.3.rs-5913656. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5913656/v1 PMID: 39975914.
View in Pubmed: 39975914 - Dominguez RL, Montalvan-Sanchez EE, Norwood DA, Rodriguez-Murillo A, Dominguez L, Estevez Ordoñez D, Beasley T, Bravo LE, Morgan DR. Population-Based Study of Gastric Cancer Survival and Associations in Rural Western Honduras. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2024 Dec 2; 33(12):1578-1585. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-23-1461 PMID: 38949525.
View in Pubmed: 38949525 - Salehani A, Parr M, Atchley TJ, Howell S, Estevez-Ordonez D, Laskay NMB, Riley K. Validity of the flap risk score in predicting nasoseptal flap use after endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary mass resection. World Neurosurg X. 2024 Apr; 22():100330. doi: 10.1016/j.wnsx.2024.100330 PMID: 38444874.
View in Pubmed: 38444874
Latest Publications
Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications.
Conditions Diagnosed or Treated by Dr. Estevez-Ordonez
UAMS Health providers care for a broad range of conditions, some of which may not be listed below.
Medical Treatments and Procedures Performed or Prescribed by Dr. Estevez-Ordonez
UAMS Health providers perform and prescribe a broad range of treatments and procedures, some of which may not be listed below.
- Awake Craniotomy
- Brain Tumor Tissue Banking
- BrainPath Approach for Deep Brain Surgeries
- Laser Ablation
- Linear Accelerator
- Microneurosurgery
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Pencil Beam Scanning Proton Beam Radiation
- Robotized Stereotactic Assistant (ROSA) Robot
- Skull Base Surgery
- Stereotactic Radiosurgery
- Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery
Dr. Estevez-Ordonez's Areas of Expertise
Brain and Spine Cancer Care (Part of Cancer Care)
The Neurosurgical oncology team tackles brain and spinal tumors with a true team approach.
Neurosurgery
Our neurosurgeons perform research, multiple clinical trials and are the leaders for simple and complex surgeries not available at other centers in Arkansas.
Head and Neck Cancer Care (Part of Cancer Care)
Our multidisciplinary team tailors treatment plans, including reconstructive surgery, reducing clinic visits. Explore clinical trials for innovative options.
Neurofibromatosis (Part of Cancer Care)
Neurofibromatosis is a genetic disorder of the nervous system. It mainly affects how nerve cells form and grow.
Locations Where Dr. Estevez-Ordonez Practices
Neurosurgery Clinic , Primary Location
501 Jack Stephens Drive
UAMS Jackson T. Stephens Spine and Neuroscience Institute
Little Rock, AR 72205
- Appointment Phone Number
- 501-686-5270
New and Returning Patients