Rima Sestokas Rindler, MD
NEUROSURGEON
As the daughter of an internal medicine physician and a clinical neurophysiologist, Rima Sestokas Rindler, MD, grew up fascinated with neuroscience. She completed her neurosurgical residency training at Emory University, and then received CAST-accredited Fellowship training in neurosurgical skull base surgery from the Mayo Clinic. While there, she honed her expertise in caring for patients with benign and malignant tumors involving the base of the skull, as well as radiosurgery and the treatment of facial pain and facial spasms. As part of the multidisciplinary team at Sierra Neurosurgery Group, she brings her detail-oriented, compassionate, and collaborative approach to patients and families in the Northern Nevada community.
Fascinated by the complex interconnectivity between the brain and human behavior, Dr. Rindler initially set out to become a psychiatrist. When she discovered her passion for surgery and neuroanatomy, she realized her skill, patience, and attention to detail were better applied through the practice of neurosurgery. As a female trailblazer in a male-dominated field, she knows what it’s like to triumph over adversity. Along with her expertise, broad training, dedication, and perseverance, she credits the support of her family, many of whom are medical professionals. She particularly appreciates the importance of open discussion and tailored decisionmaking when treating patients with challenges as significant as those posed by a brain tumor.
Dr. Rindler holds a bachelor’s degree from Duke University, and earned her MD at Boston University. After completing her residency at Emory University, she was selected for a prestigious and coveted Neurosurgical Skull Base Oncology Fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. She is currently board-eligible with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. She has been featured in prestigious medical publications on topics including adult and pediatric head trauma, spine injury and disease, and skull base oncology. When she’s not supporting her patients and colleagues at Sierra Neurosurgery Group, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, running and practicing yoga, and spending time with her family. Dr. Rindler is “On-Call” with Renown Medical Center, Saint Mary’s Medical Center, and Northern Nevada Sierra Medical Center for neurosurgical emergencies.
Dr. Rindler Specialties
General neurosurgery including trauma, degenerative spine disease, spinal fractures, hydrocephalus, brain tumors, brain aneurysms, and more.
- Neurosurgery
- Skull base surgery
- Brain tumors
- Complex cranial diagnosis
- Neurological imaging
- Radiosurgery
- Benign and malignant tumors at the base of the skull
- Skull, dura, nerves, pituitary gland, brain, sinonasal passages, face, neck, orbits, ears
- Neck pain
- Back pain
- Facial pain
- Facial spasms
- Microsurgical procedures
Dr. Rindler Advanced Practice Providers Team
Dr. Rindler is available for appointments at these office Locations:
RENO, NV
Sierra Neurosurgery Group
5590 Kietzke Lane
Reno, NV 89511
SPARKS, NV
5070 Ion Drive Suite 200
Sparks, NV 89436
Dr. Rindler Curriculum
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Education
2021 – 2022
Neurosurgical Skull Base Oncology Fellowship, Mayo School of Graduate Medical
Education, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota
2014 – 2021
Emory University – Residency
2009 – 2014
Boston University – MD
2005 – 2009
Duke University – BS
Additional Education
2019 – 2020
Attendee, Stryker Advance ENT and Neuro Resident Course, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendee, “A 360 Degree Perspective” Hand-On Workshop, Cranial Base Surgery Course, Atlanta, Georgia
Attendee, Pittsburgh Comprehensive Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery Course, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
2020 – 2021
Attendee, “A 360 Degree Perspective” Hand-On Workshop, Cranial Base Surgery Course, Atlanta, Georgia
2021 – 2022
Course Co-Director, Upper Midwest Summer Skull Base Course, Rochester,Minnesota
Attendee, Mayo Clinic 8th Annual Endoscopic Skull Base Course with Cadaver Dissection for Otolaryngology and Neurosurgery Residents. Rochester, Minnesota
Certifications
2021
Mayo Clinic Quality Fellow: Bronze Level Certification
Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support
Basic Life Support
Board Certified
Board-eligible with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.
Awards
2008
Faculty Scholar Award Nominee, Dept. Psych. and Neuroscience – Duke University
2009
Graduation with Distinction, Dept. Psych. and Neuroscience – Duke University
Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society – Duke University
Psi Xi Psychology Honor Society – Duke University
2013
Alpha Omega Alpha National Honor Medical Society – Boston University
Clinical Research Fellowship – Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
2014
Christopher G. Gaposchkin Prize Fund – Boston University
Edward L. Spatz, MD Award for Excellence in Neurosurgery – Boston University
2015
George T. Tindall, MD Resident Research Award – George T. Tindall
2016
House Staff Organization Professionalism Excellence (HOPE) Award – House Staff Organization Professionalism Excellence (HOPE) Award
Hospital Affiliations
Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center
Reno, Nevada
Renown Regional Medical Center
Reno, Nevada
Northern Nevada Medical Center
Sparks, Nevada
Medical Licensure
Nevada
Minnesota
Professional Memberships and Societies
2009 – 2014
American Medical Association – Member
Massachusetts Medical Society – Member
2012 – Present
American Association of Neurological Surgeons – Member
2014 – Present
AANS/CNS Section of Women in Neurosurgery – Member
Congress of Neurological Surgeons – Member
2019 – Present
North American Skull Base Society – Candidate Member
Research Experience
2021 – 2022
Course Co-Director, Upper Midwest Summer Skull Base Course, Rochester, Minnesota
Publications - Book Chapters
- Duhaime AC, Rindler RS. Special Considerations in Infants and Children. In: Handbook of Clinical Neurology. 2015;127:219-42. 2015.
- Mahmooth Z, Malcolm JM, Rindler RS, Ahmad FU. Cranioplasty: does timing have any effect on the degree of neurological recovery or the complication rate? Evidence for Neurosurgery: Effective Procedures and Treatment. In: Eds. Bartels RHMA, Rovers MM, Westert GP: Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2019, pp 19-40. 2019.
- Rindler RS, Vasudevan K, Erwood AM, Pradilla G. Ed. Agarwal V. Integrated Management of Complex Intracranial Lesions: Open, Endoscopic, and Keyhole Techniques. 2019. In press. In: Transcranial approach for tumor resection and anterior circulation. 2019.
- Rindler RS, Chern JC. Chapter 19 Newer Subsets: Chiari 1.5 and Chiari 0 Malformations. In: The Chiari Malformations, 2nd edition. Eds. Tubbs RS, Oskouian RJ, Turgut M and Oakes WJ. In print. 2021.
- Rindler R, Pradilla G. Subcortical surgery for open and parafascicular channel-based approaches. In: Eds. Pradilla G. Springer. In press. 2021.
- Bray D, Rindler R, Oyesiku NM. Orbitozygomatic Approaches (for Cranioorbital Tumors). In: Ed. Agarwal V. Surgery of the Orbit in Neuro-oncology. Cambridge University Press. In press. 2022.
Competent, professional, caring, and an expert among experts.
– Patient review on ratemds.com, December 2019
Patient Reviews
[More reviews coming soon]