Advanced Brain and Spine Care
Spearheading the brain and spinal cord department at the Richmond Health Network are a pair of board-certified neurosurgeons: Dr. Douglas Cohen and Dr. Erico Cardoso. Under their guidance, patients can expect to receive compassionate care and comprehensive pre- and post-operative treatment.
Both neurosurgeons and their teams are equipped to administer the latest treatments to bring you and your loved ones the highest level of neurological care.
From consultations and diagnoses to surgery and rehabilitation, we’re prepared to treat both acute and chronic cases of brain and spinal disorders.
Our Neurosurgeons provide an integrated approach to provide diagnoses of complex neuroscience ailments, provide surgical and non-surgical options, help alleviate pain, improve mobility, and restore functioning in many cases involving the brain, spinal cord, and nervous system.
Neurosurgical Conditions Treated
Our talented neurosurgeons treat the following conditions:
- Brain Tumors: Patients will have access to the latest advancements in brain tumor diagnosis and treatment at the Richmond Health Network. As a result, the prognosis for both benign and malignant brain tumors continue to improve significantly. Specialized care is available for most types of brain tumors, including meningiomas and pituitary tumors.
- Spine Disorders: Your neurosurgeon will develop a personalized care plan to address your herniated disc or spinal stenosis. Treatment for other conditions affecting the spinal cord or spinal nerve roots, such as tumors and deformities, is also available.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries: If you or someone you love sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI), surgical intervention is often required to repair damage and quicken recovery time.
- Trigeminal Neuralgia: Find relief from the pain caused by trigeminal neuralgia at the Richmond Health Network. Options are available to effectively reduce painful sensations and prevent future attacks from occurring.
- Neurocritical care and more: Get in touch with the Richmond Health Network Neurosurgery and Pain Management team to learn more about how Neurosurgery and/or Pain Management can help address your specific health concerns.
Meet the Team
Dr. Cardoso has studied and trained in a wide variety of neurosurgical practices from around the world. A native of Brazil, he completed his initial neurosurgical residency there. He was accepted soon after to the University of Ottawa, Canada, where he went through an intensive training in general surgery and neurosurgery, obtaining a master’s degree in neuroanatomy. He then went on to obtain two specialty fellowships in neurosurgery; the first was in vascular neurosurgery in Ontario, Canada, the second, in pituitary diseases in Glasgow, Scotland. After a few years of neurosurgical practice in Canada, Dr. Cardoso was invited to work as a guest surgeon at the University of Umea, Sweden.
In the early years of his academic career, Dr. Cardoso conducted extensive bench and clinical research in diseases related to abnormalities of the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF), such as hydrocephalus, Arnold-Chiari malformation, benign intra-cranial hypertension, shunting, and syringomyelia. His award-winning expertise in these areas soon garnered invitations to practice in the United States. Since 1991, Dr. Cardoso has concentrated his efforts in the practice of general neurosurgery in Brooklyn, NY.
Dr. Cardoso has been repeatedly rated one of New York City’s Top Doctors by both New York Magazine and Castle Connolly, a national arbiter of America’s top physicians. But perhaps the most meaningful validation of confidence in his capabilities is the number of respected physicians throughout the metropolitan area who have repeatedly trusted the health of their own family members to his care.
Dr. Edwin M. Chang received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School, completed his residency at the Ohio State University Hospital in Neurological Surgery, and has been in practice for more than 35 years. Dr. Chang has expertise in treating brain tumors, brain hemorrhage, trigeminal neuralgia, spinal surgeries for back/neck pain and spinal tumors, and adult and pediatric neurosurgical trauma. Dr. Chang is bilingual in English and Chinese. He is also a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgery, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and is a New York City Honorary Police Surgeon.
Dr. Cohen earned his undergraduate degree at Cornell University, summa cum laude, in 1985. He graduated Harvard Medical School in 1990, including a year doing neurosurgical research at the Aitken Neurosurgery Laboratory in New York Hospital/Cornell University Medical Center. He completed his neurosurgical training at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center/Neurological Institute of New York in 1996. After working for over 20 years as an attending neurosurgeon on staff at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt/Beth Israel Medical Center, he moved his practice to Staten Island, where he currently heads the division of neurosurgery at Richmond University Medical Center.
Dr. Shivali Patel, DNP, is a Doctor of Nursing Practice in the Department of Neurosurgery. She graduated at the top of her class in 2022 from Johns Hopkins University. She gained years of experience within the Johns Hopkins Medicine system. DNP Patel, provided acute and inpatient care in numerous departments, including: medical/surgical, neurological intensive care units, medical oncology, orthopedics, cardiac, and spinal cord injury.
During her time at Hopkins, she was also engaged in multiple research projects. One of which led to a scoliosis brace sensor program that was approved and implemented by Hopkin’s Pediatric Orthopedic and selected for podium and poster presentation at an international medical conference in 2022.
DNP Patel was inducted into Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Society and is also a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. DNP Patel is looking forward to developing long lasting relationships with her patients and empowering them to be an advocate for their own health. DNP Patel also has a passion for teaching and enjoys teaching medical and NP students.
When DNP Patel is not in the office helping patients, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, volunteering with special needs children, giving back to her community, and trying out new restaurants.
