The Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Center has opened a new multidisciplinary program for treating patients with Chiari malformation and related conditions. Named Chiari CARE (for Chiari and Related Etiologies), the new program brings together top neurosurgeons, neurologists, pain management specialists, and other experts to offer comprehensive, world-class care for patients.
“There are so many facilities and doctors out there who claim to be able to treat Chiari,” says Dr. Philip E. Stieg, chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine and Neurosurgeon-in-Chief of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. “Most of them, however, have very little experience treating these complex cases, and they don’t offer multidisciplinary care. That’s why we’re bringing together experts from many disciplines to provide coordinated, expert care for our patients.”
In addition to Dr. Stieg, the neurosurgical team includes Dr. Mark Souweidane, vice chairman of the department and Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery, and Drs. Jeffrey Greenfield and Caitlin Hoffman. The team will include Chiari experts from neuro-ophthalmology, neurology, otolaryngology, pain medicine, sleep medicine, neuroradiology, genetics, skeletal dysplasia, and neuropsychology.
“It’s important that we provide this comprehensive approach to care rather than a piecemeal one,” says Dr. Greenfield. “At Chiari CARE we are focused on the whole patient, with an emphasis on total health and well-being. We’re fortunate to be located at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where we have access to state-of-the-art imaging facilities with specific protocols for patients with Chiari malformation or other disorders of the cranio-cervical junction. This allows us to develop individual treatment plans for our patients. Surgery is not necessary for all those we evaluate, but when a patient does require surgery, we have a team of world-class neurosurgeons who are experts in treating these conditions.”
For more information about the new Chiari CARE program, visit weillcornellbrainandspine.org/chiari
