Cerebrovascular Surgery

Expert Cerebrovascular Care In New York

When blood flow to your brain is compromised, immediate expert care can mean the difference between life and lasting disability.  The cerebrovascular neurosurgery team at Weill Cornell Medicine specializes in diagnosing and treating conditions that threaten brain function using the most advanced surgical techniques available to restore blood flow and protect your neurological health.  

What Is Cerebrovascular Surgery 

Cerebrovascular means brain (“cerebro”) arteries and veins (“vascular”). Any disease that temporarily or permanently reduces or stops blood flow to the brain is a cerebrovascular disease.

A few cerebrovascular disorders include:

• Aneurysms
• Carotid stenosis
• Stroke
• Vascular malformations

Cerebrovascular neurosurgery aims to restore blood flow to the brain through techniques tailored to your specific condition, including: 

• Redirecting blood flow around blockages
• Removing blockages in the arteries 
• Sealing leaking or weakened blood vessels

How Cerebrovascular Conditions Are Diagnosed

Accurate diagnosis is the foundation of effective treatment. Identifying cerebrovascular conditions begins with reviewing your symptoms and medical history, as well as a physical examination. The team at Weill Cornell Medicine may then use various imaging tests to pinpoint the cause of your issue. 

A few tests that may help in your diagnosis include:

• Carotid duplex. Ultrasound technology reveals clots and other abnormalities that affect blood flow in the carotid arteries. 
• Electroencephalogram. A series of electrodes on your scalp records electrical impulses in your brain to detect any abnormalities.
• Computed Tomography (CT). CT scans take pictures of blood vessels within the head and neck.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). With a brain MRI, your care team can see nerve tissue, the brain stem and more.

When You Need Cerebrovascular Surgery

While healthy lifestyle choices and medication can prevent or manage some cerebrovascular conditions, surgery may be necessary when these approaches aren’t enough to protect your brain. 

You should seek immediate evaluation from our cerebrovascular neurosurgeons if you have:

• Dizziness or balance problems that don’t go away
• Family history of aneurysms or stroke
• Severe facial pain that medications don’t control
• Stroke symptoms, such as weakness, speech problems or vision loss
• Sudden, severe headache that is the worst you’ve ever experienced

Types of Cerebrovascular Conditions We Treat

At Weill Cornell Medicine, our neurosurgical experts provide advanced cerebrovascular surgery for all causes of reduced blood flow to the brain. Cerebrovascular conditions we treat include:

• Arteriovenous malformations. Abnormal tangles of blood vessels cause seizures, headaches or potentially fatal bleeding. Our comprehensive treatment options include embolization, microsurgical removal and stereotactic radiosurgery. We often combine two or more surgeries.
• Brain aneurysms (cerebral aneurysms). Weakened areas in blood vessel walls rupture and cause life-threatening bleeding. Cerebrovascular surgery can prevent aneurysms before they rupture and correct ruptured aneurysms in emergency situations. Our leading experts use minimally invasive microsurgical and endovascular techniques that provide excellent results with shorter hospitalization and faster recovery.
• Carotid artery disease and stenosis. The major arteries leading to the brain become narrowed or blocked, significantly increasing the risk of stroke. Surgical treatments, such as carotid endarterectomy and stenting procedures, remove blockages and open narrowed arteries. This helps restore blood flow and prevent stroke.
• Moyamoya disease. Brain arteries narrow progressively over time, leading to reduced blood flow. Sophisticated bypass procedures at Weill Cornell Medicine use advanced microsurgical techniques to create new pathways for blood flow, restoring circulation and preventing stroke.
• Stroke. A blood vessel leading to the brain either bursts or becomes clogged, reducing blood flow and causing brain cell death. Emergency surgery can be lifesaving. Through our comprehensive Stroke Program, we also offer early intervention to help prevent future strokes.
• Trigeminal neuralgia. This painful condition affects the trigeminal nerve, causing severe facial pain. Our neurosurgeons offer multiple treatment options, including microvascular decompression, stereotactic radiosurgery and minimally invasive surgery to provide lasting pain relief.
• Spinal vascular malformations. These rare conditions affect blood vessels in the spinal cord and can cause progressive neurological symptoms. Specialized treatment, including embolization and microsurgical removal of the problematic blood vessels, can prevent further damage and restore function.

Why Choose Weill Cornell Medicine for Cerebrovascular Surgery 

World-Class Expertise

The cerebrovascular surgery team at Weill Cornell Medicine provides comprehensive neurosurgical care. Our world-renowned surgeons offer individualized treatment plans using technology available at a few hospitals in the United States and beyond.

Multidisciplinary Care

By working with a multidisciplinary team, we integrate advanced surgical techniques with interventional radiology, stereotactic radiosurgery and other specialties. This allows us to offer the most comprehensive treatment options available. 

Here, you have access to the following:

• 24/7 emergency care for stroke and other cerebrovascular conditions
• Advanced, minimally invasive neurosurgery techniques
• Cutting-edge research and clinical trials
• Multidisciplinary teams of renowned experts

Make an Appointment

Four convenient New York locations make it easy to access life-saving care when you need it most.

Call (866) 426-7787, or request an appointment online.

Our Care Team

When you turn to Weill Cornell Medicine for cerebrovascular surgery, your care team may include neurosurgeons, interventional neuroradiologists, stroke neurologists, emergency medicine doctors, rehabilitation specialists and others. Together, our top-rated experts have extensive experience with the most complicated, complex cerebrovascular cases. 

Meet the neurosurgeons who may be part of your team.