Trauma
The trauma program of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is distinguished by an experienced medical staff and advanced technology that is not available at most medical centers. State-of-the-art technology allows expert physicians to aggressively monitor a patient's neurological condition in real time, resulting in fast and effective treatment. Our team of general surgeons, trauma surgeons, neurological surgeons, neuro-intensivists, and intensivists is qualified to treat even the most severe cases of brain injury. In addition to saving patients' lives, our physicians focus on optimizing recovery so patients have a better chance of preserving their quality of life.
The trauma team at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital provides continuous monitoring of its patients through treatment and rehabilitation. Physicians and nurses are available at both NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center to treat trauma patients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia treats trauma patients in its Neurological Intensive Care Unit, or Neuro-ICU. The Neuro-ICU has specially trained medical staff, sophisticated monitoring techniques and specialized treatment modalities, which are focused entirely on improving outcomes of patients with neurological diseases.
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell is a Level I Trauma Center with 24-hour neurological surgery coverage, staffed by a team that is specially trained to provide rapid response and treatment to even the most severe cases of traumatic brain injury.
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital was among the first trauma centers to utilize Intracranial Pressure Monitoring to measure the level of pressure within a patient's skull. Because high pressure can threaten death, our neurological surgeons are trained to perform a fast, effective procedure called decompressive craniectomy. This procedure immediately alleviates the pressure on the brain and prevents swelling. Other diagnostic and therapeutic modalities include
- Computed axial tomography (CAT) scans
- Computed tomography (CT) perfusion
- Brain oxygen tension monitoring and
- Continuous digital electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring.
- Our team also has access to the most advanced cooling technology, which monitors the temperature of the brain and body and prevents fevers that are common in patients suffering from brain injury.
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is involved in ongoing research to optimize neurological outcomes in trauma patients. Currently, our physicians are participating in clinical trials to determine the efficacy of treatments for secondary bleeding in the brain.
