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Welcome to

Neurosurgery

OUR EXPERTISE

Parents of children with problems affecting their brains, spinal cords and nerves turn to the Division of Neurosurgery at CHAM for unrivaled experience in the treatment of rare craniofacial anomalies and other congenital abnormalities such as Chiari malformations and tethered spinal cords. Its pediatric neurosurgeons, working with colleagues in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at CHAM, help manage one of the largest number of children with tumors in their nervous systems in the New York region. The Division offers surgery for childhood epilepsy and cares for a large number of children with hydrocephalus and birth injuries,using both standard treatments and endoscopy.    

Our team is led by internationally-renowned neurosurgeons with unparalleled skills and years of experience in treating complex neurological conditions. Our team has served as officers in national neurosurgical organizations and are acknowledged by their peers as leaders in the field

The Division has extensive experience and interest in conditions affecting the nervous systems of children. While we offer the most technologically sophisticated treatments and are actively working to advance the science of pediatric neurosurgery, we strongly feel that we are here to serve our young patients by listening and responding to their needs.  

OUR TEAM

Andrew J. Kobets, MD

"We empower families to make the best decisions for their children. Working with a world-class group of doctors who have access to the most advanced technologies, our collaborative approach to every case includes making the family a part of our team."

Andrew J. Kobets, MD

Division of Neurological Surgery, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore
Assistant Professor, Montefiore Einstein

Mandana Behbahani, MD

Division of Neurological Surgery, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore
Assistant Professor, Montefiore Einstein

Meet the Team

SERVICES & PROGRAMS

Members of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at CHAM have been involved in the development of computer based technologies now commonly used to guide surgery in the nervous systems of children throughout the world.  Their continued work in the development of such techniques insures that children undergoing neurosurgery at CHAM are offered leading edge surgical techniques that minimize the risk of complications for the children we treat.

Along with our exceptional team of partners from across the institution—including experts within our divisions of Craniofacial Surgery, Pediatric Oncology, Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, Pediatric Surgery and Pediatric Neurology—we have established a reputation for team management of particularly difficult cases that other medical institutions thought were inoperable.

Collaborative Care for Chronic Disability

A key area of interest for the Division of Neurosurgery is our new practice called, Function. This innovative service offering was created specifically to address the unique needs of children and adults with disabilities of the neuromuscular, musculoskeletal or urological systems—either congenital or due to injury.

Chronic disability requires close collaboration among a patient’s specialists. Function delivers optimal treatment to children and adults with disabilities by delivering seamless, coordinated care. Our multi-disciplinary team delivers sophisticated and compassionate care for people of all ages with disabilities associated with a number of diseases and conditions, including:

  • Cerebral Palsy or birth injuries to the brain and spinal cord
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Primary and secondary injuries to the Central Nervous System
  • Nerve injuries including obstetrical brachial plexus injury
  • Spina Bifida and other spinal dysraphisms, such as tethered spinal cord
  • Neurogenic bladder and bowel conditions, including Myelomeningocele, Sacral Agenesis, incontinence and constipation
  • Post injury-hypertonia
  • Trauma
  • Pelvic Dysfunction caused by a variety of conditions, including malignancies and Persistent Cloaca
  • Familial disorders, including spasticity and achondroplasis

Learn About Function

RESEARCH

The depth and breadth of expertise within the Division of Neurosurgery spans the clinical spectrum of problems affecting children’s brains, spinal cords and nerves.

Our physicians are involved in investigations that seek to better understand these problems and how best to manage them. In addition to ongoing collection of information about the clinical outcome of our patients the Division is involved in research projects about the treatment of tumors of the nervous system, the development of new imaging technology for understanding the clinical features of hydrocephalus and epilepsy, utilizing 3-D printing technology to help in the surgical correction of abnormally shaped skulls and the use of neurosurgical techniques to manage abnormal muscle tone in chronically disabled children.

Our commitment to exploring better ways to manage the challenging neurological problems seen in its young patients has improved outcomes, reduced the number of surgeries that children require and allowed ready access to innovative treatments at the cutting edge of pediatric neurosurgery.

 

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FIND A CLINICAL TRIAL

 

Dr. James T. Goodrich, a pioneer in separating conjoined twins, is mourned

Dr. Goodrich dedicated his life to saving children with complex neurological conditions. In 2016, he successfully led a team of 40 doctors in a 27-hour procedure to separate the MacDonald twins, Jadon and Anias, who were fused at the brain and skull. Dr. Goodrich spent more than 30 years at Montefiore-Einstein and was the Director of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Montefiore and Professor of Clinical Neurological Surgery, Pediatrics, Plastic and Reconstructive surgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Goodrich passed away on March 30, 2020 from complications associated with COVID-19.

“Doctor Goodrich was a beacon of our institution and he will be truly missed.”

Dr. Philip O. Ozuah, Montefiore Medicine CEO

Memorial service
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