The Chiari Institute is in Great Neck, NY, on Long Island.  It is part of the North Shore- Long Island Jewish Health System. Surgery is still done at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset.  It is in the Department of Neurosurgery.

The Chiari Institute was founded by Dr Thomas Milhorat.  He is a leader in the U.S. for research and experience in Chiari.  With his partner, Dr Paolo Bolognese, they do over 200 surgeries per year.  He is a big part of the effort to fund research into Chiari. (see ASAP link)  His groundbreaking study and resulting abstract helped change the way Chiari is viewed.  It is called Chiari I Malformation Redefined: Clinical and Radiographic Findings for 364 Symptomatic Patients  .   It can be found in the journal Neurosurgery, Vol. 44, No. 5, May 1999.  Parts of it are on the WACMA website, see links. 

 An abstract was presented at an ASAP conference, titled Tailored Technique for Chiari Surgery Using Color Doppler-Ultrasonography Abstract.  This is by both Dr Milhorat and Dr Bolognese, and is the surgery that I had.  It is a study of a technique for decompression surgery they used since 1999, on over 300 patients with Chiari 1 Malformation.

I could go on and on about how highly I regard these two men, and their staff.  They are kind, compassionate, caring, skilled surgeons.  They are also nice guys. I will recommend them to any chiari patient, email me for more information if you wish. (see links)

The phone number for the Chiari Institute is (516) 570-4400.

There are travel tips on the WACMA pages, see links. Lists of things to take with you to surgery, ideas on what will make your homecoming easier.  Much of this is discussed on the Yahoo chat boards.  Great info from great people.  That chat board kept me sane, and guided me to these great surgeons.  I can't imagine where I would be now without it.