You Don’t Always Need Surgery for your Chiari!

Just because the imaging shows a Chiari, does not mean you necessarily need Chiari surgery. When do you NOT need a Chiari surgery? Of course, because of how complex this condition can be, this will require a discussion with your doctor. Dr. Vachhrajani shares examples of patients in which he did decide to offer surgery and others in which he did not. He explains why which include: symptoms, imaging, and each patient's concerns or other conditions with which the patient may be dealing. Though this lecture and Q&A is focused on Chiari I malformation, Dr. Vachhrajani begins by looking at the definitions of the numerous types of Chiaris. Dr. Vachhrajani also answers questions from our audience including types of surgeries for Chiari and related disorders such as instability and tethered cord, why puberty appears to exacerbate Chiari symptoms in some patients, and more! This lecture was given completely virtually on December 7th (2023)