Welcome to The Chiari Institute

Treating Chiari Malformation, Syringomyelia & Related Disorders

The Chiari Institute is the world's first comprehensive, multidisciplinary center for the management of patients suffering from Chiari malformation, a rare structural condition that affects the cerebellum; syringomyelia, a chronic disease of the spinal cord; and related disorders. Established in 2001 by the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, the Chiari Institute is located in a state-of-the-art facility in Great Neck, N.Y.

» Read more about who we are and what we treat.

What sets the Chiari Institute apart?

Comprehensive, Specialized Knowledge

• Chiari-related surgeries are performed daily at The Chiari Institute.
• TCI's surgeons have been exposed to an endless series of anatomical variants and have faced and solved complex technical problems.
• The complication rate for Chiari-related surgeries at The Chiari Institute is the lowest in the nation.
• TCI has the largest database in the world for Chiari I malformation and syringomyelia.

Groundbreaking Research

• Chiari Institute physicians were the first to:
  • Find the link between Chiari I malformation and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome in a subgroup of Chiari patients.
  • Discover and investigate the relationship between Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and functional cranial settling.
  • Define the link between tonsillar herniation and occult cord tethering in a subgroup of Chiari patients.

Pioneering Techniques

• TCI introduced and perfected the concept of "redo" surgery for Chiari I malformation.

Cutting-edge Technology

• TCI was the first to introduce:
  • Color Doppler ultrasonography in the intraoperative management of Chiari I malformation
  • Morphometric measurement in the preoperative diagnosis of Chiari I malformation.

Unmatched Number of Patients

• TCI reached the 2,000th case mark in 2007 and is going for the 3,000th.

Extensive, Experienced, Expert Staff

• TCI's staff of 23 people includes four neurosurgeons and three neurologists.

Nation- and Worldwide Care

• TCI's patients have come from all 50 states and from 40 foreign countries.

Founding of The Chiari Institute

The Chiari Institute was founded by Dr. Thomas H. Milhorat, former chairman of the departments of neurosurgery at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y., and Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y., and represents the fruition of his decade-long effort to establish an institution dedicated to the treatment of these often misdiagnosed conditions.

The institute is named in honor of Professor Hans Chiari, an Austrian pathologist who first described abnormalities of the brain at the junction of the skull and spine more than a century ago. Physician members of the Chiari Institute include neurosurgeons, neurologists and neuroradiologists, as well as specialists in pain management, cardiology, respiratory physiology, neuro-Ophthalmology, neuro-otology, general medicine and pediatrics.

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