Radiculopathy near Sunnyside, NY

Biography: Dr. Dean Chou is the Bennett M. Stein Professor of Neurosurgery. He is the Chief of the Spine Division and Vice Chair of Department of Neurosurgery at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Chou has many years of experience andexpertise in scoliosis, spinal deformity, spinal tumors, and degenerative conditions of the spine. He haspioneered many minimally invasive surgical techniques to treat these complexconditions, and is also an expert in traditional open surgery. Whenpossible, he uses the least-invasive treatment techniques,providing an individualized, thoughtful approach to every patient. Dr. Chou attended medicalschool at the University of California, San Francisco, completed his residencyin Neurosurgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, and undertook a fellowship incomplex spinal surgery at The Barrow Neurological Institute under one of thelegendary pioneers of spine surgery, Dr. Volker Sonntag. He is board certified by the American Boardof Neurological Surgery. Prior toColumbia, he was on faculty at the University of California of San Francisco,rising to the rank of full Professor of Neurosurgery and Orthopedics, and eventually the Associate Director of the UCSF Neurospine Center. He is a Castle Connolly Top Doctor and hasbeen elected by his peers for 10 consecutive years to the "BestDoctors in America" list, according to Best Doctors, Inc. Dr. Chou has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications in a wide variety of neurosurgery and spinejournals. He sits on the editorial boards of the following journals; Journal of Neurosurgery:Spine, Neurosurgery, and PLOS ONE. He is on theadvisory board of the journal, Spine. He serves as Treasurer and on the Board ofDirectors for the Lumbar Spine Research Society (LSRS) and serves on theMembership Committee for the American Association of Neurological Surgeons(AANS). He also sits on the Executive andScientific Program Committees of the AANS/Congress of Neurosurgeons Section onDisorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves, and he has served as an abstractreviewer for many organized meetings. He is a two-time recipient of the HaroldRosegay Resident Teaching Award and has been awarded the Alumni AchievementAward from The Johns Hopkins Department of Neurosurgery. He has served as abstract reviewer andfaculty member for such organizations as the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS),the North American Spine Society (NASS), the Congress of Neurological Surgeons(CNS), the AANS, the LSRS, the Global Spine Congress, and the InternationalMeeting for Advanced Spinal Techniques (IMAST).

Biography: Norman Latov, MD, PhD is Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience, and Director of the Peripheral Neuropathy Clinical and Research Center at Weill Cornell Medical College.Dr. LatovgraduatedfromColumbia College in 1970, received the MD, PhD degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1975, served as Medical Intern at Boston City Hospital, and completed his residency in Neurology at the Neurological Institute of the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in 1979, where he also served as Chief Resident. Following a research fellowship in Immunology, he joined the faculty of Columbia University where in 1994 he wasappointed Professor of Neurology.Dr. Latov joined the department of Neurology and Neuroscience of the Weill Cornell Medical College in 2001, where he heads the Peripheral Neuropathy Clinical and Research Center. His clinical and laboratory research interests are in Peripheral Neuropathy and Neuroimmunology, focusing on the diagnosis and and treatment of inflammatory neuropathies. His laboratory is credited with the discovery of anti-MAG and GM1 ganglioside antibodies that are implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune neuropathies, and for developing blood tests that are currently used to diagnose these conditions. His current research focuses on the use of monoclonal anti-CD204 macrophage receptor antibodies for treatment ofneuroimmune and inflammatory diseases.He lectures widely, and has over 200 publications, including research articles, reviews, editorials, chapters and books.Dr. Latov was a founding Board member,Medical and Research Director, and member of the National Advisory Councilof the Neuropathy Association, which subsequently merged with the Foundation for Neuropathy. His book "Peripheral Neuropathy: When the Numbness, Weakness and Pain Won't Stop" (American Academy of Neurology) was written with the aim of demystifyingthe illness for patients and their families and friends. Dr. Latov has been selected as one of America's or New York Metro Area's Top Doctors, by Castle Connolly, annually since 1998.

Biography: Dr. Michael Nicoletti is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Rehabilitation Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical Center. He is a musculoskeletal specialist board-certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Nicoletti's specialty training is in Sports Medicine and Interventional Spine Care. His expertise includes non-operative management of a wide variety of spine and musculoskeletal conditions, as well as the rehabilitation and prevention of sports related injuries. Dr. Nicoletti's skill set includes both ultrasound guided joint, muscle and tendon injections as well as fluoroscopically guided spine injections.Dr. Nicoletti graduated from the Medical Science program at Midwood High School in Brooklyn, NY, and then completed his Bachelors degree in Biology and Italian Studies from New York University. Dr. Nicoletti received his Doctor of Medicine degree from St. George's University School of Medicine. He completed an internship in Internal Medicine at Long Island College Hospital, and then went on to the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center for his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, where he also served as Chief-Resident. Following residency, Dr. Nicoletti completed an intensive year of fellowship training at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Sports Medicine and Interventional Spine Care.Throughout his training career Dr. Nicoletti has provided team coverage at both the high school and collegiate level for multiple sports including football, basketball, soccer, hockey, and track & field. He has also volunteered his time and medical expertise at numerous New York City endurance events, including the NYC Marathon and multiple Half-Marathon events. In addition to his professional career, Dr. Nicoletti is also an avid runner and triathlete himself, having competed in multiple endurance events including Iron distance and Half-Iron distance triathlons.Dr. Nicoletti is an active member of numerous academic organizations including the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, International Spine Intervention Society, North American Spine Society, and the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. Dr. Nicoletti has been published in both physical medicine and rehabilitation medical journals as well as textbook chapters, and he continues to stay up-to-date with ongoing developments in his field in order to provide his patients with the highest level care.

Care Philosophy: Dr. Jones treats neurosurgical conditions affecting the brain, skull base, spine, and peripheral nervous system. Dr. Jones utilizes techniques in minimally invasive and minimally disruptive surgery of the brain and spine including motion preservation surgery when appropriate. Dr. Jones believes in a patient-centered approach in deciding the necessity for and goals of any surgery. Due to his patient-centered approach, he has received recognition from patients and colleagues including receiving the VA Gold Pin for excellence in patient care at the Baltimore Veteran's Administration. During your visit, you will be presented of multiple methods including non-surgical methods to treat your condition.

Biography: Dr. Osama Kashlan is an award-winning, board-certified neurosurgeon who is fellowship trained in spine surgery. His specialty is minimally invasive spine surgery, including innovative new endoscopic and 3D navigated approaches to the spine. Dr. Kashlan's practice covers a wide range of spinal disorders, including degenerative spinal disorders, spinal trauma, scoliosis, spinal deformity, and spine tumors. He takes pride in ensuring all motion-sparing options including disc replacement, facet replacement, and decompressive non-fusion endoscopic proceduresare exhausted prior to offering his patients fusion operations. He also has a special interest in tumors, infections, and congenital defects of the lumbosacral junction, with a vast experience in treating adult tethered cords and sacral pathologies requiring a sacrectomy or coccygectomy with or without lumbopelvic reconstruction. Before joining the faculty at Weill Cornell Medicine, Dr. Kashlan served as Director of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery at the University of Michigan, where he was also in charge of the spine fellowship. Outside of the hospital, Dr. Kashlan is an officer in the Air National Guard and has been involved in projects to improve treatment of head injuries on the battlefield in addition to spreading awareness regarding spinal cord injuries in special warfare operators. He also has a special interest in global neurosurgery and has led multiple neurosurgery mission trips around the world.