Delicate Balance and Teamwork

"Our highly qualified neuroanesthesiologists play a critical role in monitoring and protecting brain function while the surgeons create the bypass and eliminate the aneurysm," Dr. Jafar explains. The anesthesia team is responsible for delivering highly specialized combinations of anesthetic agents in precise doses, and for delicately balancing the volume and pressure of blood and intracranial fluids. Indeed," he continues, "the expertise available at NYU to address neurological and cerebrovascular problems is unsurpassed. Our team includes outstanding diagnostic and interventional neuroradiologists, radiosurgeons, stroke neurologists, neuro-ophthalmologists, neuropsychologists, and other specialists. Our patients receive truly exceptional nursing care, particularly in the neurosurgical critical care unit, and if necessary, they get the world's best rehabilitation care at the Rusk Institute.

On the Road to Recovery

For Joe Luongo, it's been a slow recovery process. He spent a long time at the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, and is now able to do many things on his own. "It's a miracle he's alive," Nancy says, "and I couldn't be more grateful to Dr. Jafar, the team of doctors, and the nursing staff. They worked so hard to give Joe a second lease on life. And the care in the neurosurgical ICU was just wonderful," she continued. "We've been to other hospitals and never seen anything like it."