Many people consult their primary care physicians when they first experience the symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia. Primary care physicians may prescribe the medications that are the initial treatments, but more severe cases should be referred to a neurosurgeon for evaluation. Expert treatment for trigeminal neuralgia may include open surgery, minimally invasive surgery, stereotactic surgery, or advanced pain management — all of which are best conducted at experienced neurosurgery centers.
At the Weill Cornell Medicine Brain and Spine Center, the neurosurgical experts who lead the trigeminal neuralgia team include:
Philip E. Stieg, Ph.D., M.D., Chairman of the Neurosurgery Department at Weill Cornell Medicine and Neurosurgeon-in-Chief at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Stieg specializes in cerebrovascular surgery, including the microvascular decompression surgery that relieves the pain of trigeminal neuralgia. (Read more about Dr. Stieg.)
Dr. Michael Kaplitt, Vice Chairman of the Neurosurgery Department at Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Kaplitt specializes in functional neurosurgery and directs the department’s programs on movement disorders (including Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, and dystonia), pain and spasticity, trigeminal neuralgia, and hydrocephalus. (Read more about Dr. Kaplitt.)
Jared Knopman, M.D., specializes in the treatment of vascular diseases of the brain and spine and has dual expertise in both open neurosurgical and minimally invasive interventional techniques. Dr. Knopman has done specialized fellowship training in endovascular neurosurgery and interventional neuroradiology at Weill Cornell Medicine and has surgical and interventional expertise in treating a diverse array of diseases of the brain and spine. Given his dual training, he is able to offer each patient an individualized treatment plan. (Read more about Dr. Knopman.)
Dr. Susan Pannullo, director of Neuro-Oncology in the Department of Neurological Surgery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Pannullo is board certified in both neurology and neurological surgery, and specializes in stereotactic radiosurgery. (Read more about Dr. Pannullo.)
These four experts lead other neurosurgeons as well as teams of highly trained specialists across a range of disciplines (including neurology and pain management) to achieve the very best results for individuals suffering from the pain of trigeminal neuralgia.
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Our Care Team
- Chairman and Neurosurgeon-in-Chief
- Margaret and Robert J. Hariri, MD ’87, PhD ’87 Professor of Neurological Surgery
- Vice Provost of Business Affairs and Integration
- Vice Chair, Research, Neurological Surgery
- Professor of Neurological Surgery
- Director, Movement Disorders and Pain
- Director, Residency Program
- Director of Cerebrovascular Surgery and Interventional Neuroradiology
- Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery
- Fellowship Director, Endovascular Neurosurgery
- Director, Neurosurgical Radiosurgery
- Professor of Clinical Neurological Surgery
- Robert G. Schwager, MD ’67 Education Scholar, Cornell University
- Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery
- Leon Levy Research Fellow
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute
- Chief of Neurological Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian Queens
- Co-director, Weill Cornell Medicine CSF Leak Program
- Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery (Brooklyn and Manhattan)