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.

Founding of The Chiari Institute

The Chiari Institute was founded by Dr. Thomas H. Milhorat, 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-opthalmology, neuro-otology, general medicine and pediatrics.