Edward Duckworth, MD, MS, FAANS is an intracranial-focused neurosurgeon, specializing in the treatment of complex cranial disorders. He has expertise in treating many conditions, including cerebrovascular disease and the surgical treatment of stroke; brain tumors, including pituitary tumors; acoustic neuroma; skull base tumors; Chiari malformation; epilepsy; moyamoya; trigeminal neuralgia; arteriovenous malformations, cavernoma; normal-pressure hydrocephalus (NPH); and carotid artery disease. He is the director of St. Luke's Cranial Neurosurgery Program.

Dr. Duckworth holds the distinction of being "dual-fellowship trained," having completed fellowship training in cerebrovascular and cranial base surgery at Northwestern University and in endovascular neurosurgery and interventional neuroradiology at Semmes-Murphey Neurologic and Spine Institute and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He as also earned a subspecialty certification in neuroendovascular surgery from The Society of Neurological Surgeons Committee on Advanced Subspecialty Training (CAST). This depth of expertise allows him to offer the safest and most effective treatments for cerebrovascular conditions, whether that is open surgery or an endovascular technique.

While working at the Baylor College of Medicine, he held the rank of associate professor and served as the director of cerebrovascular and cranial base neurosurgery.

Dr. Duckworth is a member of the American Association for Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. He has published over 50 peer reviewed papers and given more than 40 oral presentations on neurosurgery.

Surgical Specialties

• Neurosurgery
• Cerebrovascular neurosurgery
• Endovascular neurosurgery
• Endovascular surgical neuroradiology
• Neurological skull base surgery

Gregory S. Harrison, MD, FAANS specializes in complex spine surgery, brain tumor surgery, peripheral nerve surgery, and general neurosurgery. Before moving to Boise, he practiced in both the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and Pocatello, ID.

Dr. Harrison earned his bachelor's degree at Yale University and completed his medical degree at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, graduating with Alpha Omega Alpha honors. After his neurosurgery residency at Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Dr. Harrison performed his fellowship at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia, with a focus on brain tumors and skull base surgery.

Surgical Specialties

• Brain surgery
• Spine surgery
• Discectomy
• Laminectomy
• Cervical and lumbar fusion
• Corpectomy

Kenneth M. Little, MD, FAANS is the director of St. Luke's Clinic – Northwest Neurosurgery Associates and the regional director of spine surgery at St. Luke's Boise. His areas of expertise include complex spinal surgery, minimally invasive spinal surgery, brain tumor surgery, peripheral nerve surgery, reconstructive spine surgery, general neurosurgery, and artificial disc replacement. He also specializes in treatment of spinal tumors, cerebrovascular disorders, and degenerative spinal conditions. 

Dr. Little earned his bachelor's degree in neuroscience from the University of California at Los Angeles where he received the Athletic and Academic Achievement Award. He earned his medical degree from Vanderbilt University where he received the Neurobiology Research Award for his work in neuroplasticity. While completing his neurosurgery training at Duke University, Dr. Little pursued a wide variety of clinical and academic interests. He authored several research papers and book chapters and received the Congress of Neurological Surgeons Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery Resident Award for his basic science work in epilepsy.

Dr. Little also leads quality initiatives at St. Luke’s Health System across the continuum of care including a multidisciplinary outpatient spine clinic. Dr. Little is a member of St. Luke’s Research Advisory Committee and has a particular interest in comparative effectiveness research and novel analytics through mathematical modeling. 

Surgical Specialties

• Brain surgery
• Spine surgery
• Discectomy
• Laminectomy
• Cervical and lumbar fusion
• Corpectomy

Derek Martinez, MD, MS specializes in the treatment of a wide array of complex brain, spine, and peripheral nerve conditions. He has expertise in surgery for brain and spine tumors, complex spine care, radiosurgery, cerebral hemorrhages, artificial disc replacement, normal-pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), and general neurosurgery. He also performs surgery for neuromodulation and the treatment of movement disorders and epilepsy.

Dr. Martinez is board certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery. He is also a member of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and the American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery. 

Prior to his medical education, Dr. Martinez earned a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University-Idaho and a master's degree in neuroscience from Brigham Young University.

Surgical Specialties

• Deep brain stimulation (DBS)
• Epilepsy surgery
• Stereotactic neurosurgery
• Brain and pituitary tumors
• Spine tumors
• Complex spine surgery
• Peripheral nerve surgery

Louis H. Poppler, MD, MSCI specializes in minimally invasive reconstructive surgery for patients with cancer, trauma, or birth differences. He has specific training to care for both adults and children. His goal is to help people feel whole again, so they can return to doing the things they love. This means treating you as a whole person, rather than just addressing the problem at hand. 

Dr. Poppler will listen to you, considering your goals and struggles, to plan for an outstanding result. His dual plastic and orthopedic surgery training, coupled with extensive experience with nerve injury, reconstruction, and pain resolution, allow Dr. Poppler to approach any reconstructive challenge from multiple perspectives. He’ll form a solution specific to you that minimizes incisions, surgical trauma, and length of surgery while avoiding nerve injuries to minimize pain and recovery time, and maximize function.

In addition to plastic surgery training, Dr. Poppler has completed fellowships in orthopedic hand surgery and microsurgical reconstructive surgery at the Mayo Clinic, and surgery for peripheral nerve injury and pain with surgical pioneer Dr. Susan Mackinnon at Washington University. Dr. Poppler has had the opportunity to travel all over the world to learn cutting-edge techniques and skills to better serve his patients. On these trips, he has connected with international experts to 1) refine his skills using a scope (a small camera inserted into the belly, a joint, or between tissues), which allows him to perform most operations through very small incisions, and 2) learn to use ultrasound to assess anatomy before surgery to more accurately diagnose problems, make many key surgical decisions before surgery, minimize a patient's time under anesthesia, and avoid complications from anatomical variations. Following the example of the Mayo brothers, Dr. Poppler continues to travel and learn. He recently received a prestigious award from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand to travel to China to learn from talented microsurgeons taking care of adults and children with complex injuries of the nerves, hand, and body. 

Dr. Poppler returned to Boise, his hometown, to start St. Luke’s reconstructive microsurgery program. Microsurgery (surgery with the help of a microscope) allows Dr. Poppler to borrow redundant tissue from any place on the body and reattach it in another area. This versatile technique allows him to replace bone with bone, muscle with muscle, nerve with nerve, fat with fat, and skin with skin, for a more natural outcome. 

Dr. Poppler feels blessed to bring the skills he has learned all over the world home to Idaho. Dr. Poppler is an Eagle Scout and graduated from Timberline High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree in diplomacy from Georgetown University, where he graduated with honors. He credits his diplomacy training with making him a great listener and helping him always keep an open mind. Dr. Poppler attended medical school at the University of Washington as part of the highly competitive Idaho WWAMI program. He has a master’s degree in clinical research from Washington University and continues cutting-edge research in the field of nerve injury reconstruction. 

Dr. Poppler enjoys cooking and spending time outdoors with his family, hiking, biking, fishing, and skiing. He also enjoys performing research, learning, and writing about new techniques in reconstructive surgery. A firm believer in giving back, Dr. Poppler also travels on medical missions to help those who otherwise would not have access to specialty health care.

Surgical Specialties

• Breast reconstruction
• Breast surgery
• Hand and upper extremity reconstruction
• Pediatric hand differences
• Nerve injury or compression
• Lower extremity reconstruction
• Facial reconstruction
• Cosmetic and aesthetic surgery

Ketan Sharma, MD, MPH has trained in plastic and reconstructive surgery with advanced fellowship training in hand and microvascular surgery. He treats hand trauma, including fractures and tendon and nerve lacerations, arthritis, Dupuytren's, trigger finger, and hand and arm numbness and weakness. In addition, Dr. Sharma uniquely also focuses on less treated and more intractable conditions including: leg pain numbness and/or weakness, brachial plexus injuries, and chronic shoulder, neck, and upper back pain, numbness, or weakness. Dr. Sharma performs specialized surgeries to restore function, improve sensation, and eliminate pain in patients suffering from these conditions.

Dr. Sharma received a bachelor's degree in neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University. In addition to his medical education, he also obtained a master's degree in public health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During his residency, he trained under Dr. Susan Mackinnon, a world famous nerve specialist.

Dr. Sharma has a keen interest in global health and global surgery. He helped build a breast cancer registry with Partners-in-Health/Zanmi Lasante in Haiti; worked with Operation Smile in Guwahati, India; and recently went on a medical mission trip to Madagascar where he helped children with congenital hand defects, including fused fingers and missing thumbs. 

Dr. Sharma continues to engage in the academic community to stay on the forefront of cutting-edge care. He has published in some of the most renowned journals including Annals of Surgery; The Lancet: Global Health; Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery; and the flagship journal of the specialty, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 

Dr. Sharma greatly appreciates Idaho's mountain culture. In his free time, he enjoys running and hiking. 

Surgical Specialties

• Hand and upper extremity reconstruction
• Pediatric hand differences
• Nerve injury or compression
• Lower extremity reconstruction

View a more detailed list of Dr. Sharma's surgical procedures