Theodore H. Schwartz's Online Review Report Card

He removed a tumor in my head that was wrapped around my eye nerve and carotid artery. He saved my eye sight and life. He is great!

HE IS USELESS LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE IVE BEEN THROUGH ST WEILL CORNELL/NEW YORK PRESBYTERIAN.

Dr Schwartz and Dr. Anand removed a tumor from my pituitary gland. The operation was a complete success. They are highly skilled surgeons and a great team. I owe them a lot.

I look for a high-bar of perfection in neurosurgeons, particularly when needing a disturbing tumor removed from my pituitary gland. The 5 1/2 hour operation requires skills it's taken me 6 months to appreciate. I am not over it just yet but I'm better. Dr. Theodore Schwartz of Weill Cornel took care of me like nobody's business. Perfect. It was quite an ordeal. Apparently, I've been walking around needing brain surgery for years. People commented. A month before my diagnosis I realized I needed my head examined. My nurse practitioner recommended talking to a therapist after my honestly answering that I was frequently thinking of suicide during a routine physical. Not seriously. It somehow went along with my memory failing me, losing my peripheral vision, and struggling with illusionary despair to get out of bed. Talking about it was premised in my problems being of my own doing, of course, not that there was a tumor causing them. Same time, my optician saw a damaged optic nerve and referred me to an optometrist, then to a retina specialist, finally to a neurologist,who referred my MRI to Dr. Schwartz, who called me. "Don't look for anyone else. This is my operation. We are doing this Thursday. Be here at 6 a.m. Don't worry about your insurance." Dr Schwartz was precise. This was Monday. I liked that. There was no procrastination, no margin for error, and there was no error, not from the moment the Dr. introduced himself. Still, I didn't know him. This was quite serious business so I asked around."I've heard of him," a writer friend said, "He operated on a friend of mine." Later, Dr. Schwartz recommended the friend's book. So I read Letty Cottin Pogrebin's Shanda: A Memoir of Shame and Secrecy. In the first chapter Ms. Pogrebin has the same endoscopic pituitary surgery I had and I can't recommend this read highly enough to anyone in recovery.What happened to her was similar to what happened to me. I'd had to stop driving, as the tumor leaning on my optic nerve messed up my peripheral vision so that passing drivers on the thruway were gesticulating at me. The past three years I'd understood my increasingly faulty memory, diminished ardor, deep fatigue and deeper depression as symptoms of modern times and aging disgracefully. There were nightmares every night in which I lost my home and family. "When you've recovered from this you'll be over most of that," wasn't anything I'd considered. Really? I surrendered. I liked how, 2 1/2 hours into the operation, at intermission, Dr. Schwartz had the good form to call and ease my wife's mind, much as he was easing mine. The first week, even with the 5 star care I received at Weill Cornell, I was mind-blown. I am a 69 years old bookman who in adult life had never been and here I was in hospital for a week with a view of the 59th St Bridge. The care was exemplary. I push a button, someone's there inside 3 minutes with cranberry juice and pain killers.I came home slightly less mind-blown - I could read - but delicate. Two weeks later, no pain killers. Dr. Schwartz's team kept close tabs on me so no problems. For the first three months I was relatively good for nothing but following their advice. At six months there was an epiphany, coincidentally on the date of the Christian celebration of Epiphany, January 6th, the night before orthodox Christmas.Mine was far more sensory. My vision had mostly returned and my spirits rose. With each incremental redemption of my sight and memory came change for the better. I could drive again and started remembering book titles and authors. My family became yet more important.I may not have been born again but a great deal of faith has been restored since the effects of the tumor's depressing symptomology have been surgically removed and diminished to a manageable bore. My wife saw it happen and she likes me better for it. Better living through brain surgery. In this we are deeply in debt to Dr Theodore Schwartz and his associates, the neuroendocrinologist, Dr. Georgiana Dobri, and otolaryngologist, Dr. Abtin Tabaee, and recommend them all without reservation. So does my son and the cat.

Referred to Dr. Schwartz by Dr. Dobri (a saint!) for an endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary resection for my Rathke’s cyst. The operation was smooth and uncomplicated, and stayed at the hospital for 4 days in total. I happen to be a high-anxiety patient and there was not one doubt in my mind about his performance or trustworthiness. Couldn’t be more pleased!

I first met Dr Theodore Schwartz last December after having been diagnosed with a meningioma tumor that was pressing against my optic nerve. My first impression of Dr Schwartz was that he was knowledgeable and confident and reassured me that he would take care of me. After some preliminary tests, he scheduled my surgery as soon as possible on January 13th. He explained that my surgery would ...

Visit was very professional. And mostly reassuring.

I cannot say enough positive things about Dr. Schwartz and the experience I had with him and his team. Dr. Schwartz personally helped find me a room so that I could be quickly transferred to Weill Cornell for surgery. He and his team were extremely attentive and caring from the moment I was wheeled through the doors. He made sure that we did all the appropriate testing, while still managing to get me into my surgery as quickly as possible. Before having this experience, I never would have thought that serious brain surgery could go so smoothly. My recovery from day 1 was better than I could have hoped for. Pain was minimized, and I was always informed about how I was doing, and what the next steps would be. And now, several months later, not only am I feeling great, but you can’t even notice any scar! I can’t recommend Dr. Schwartz highly enough!

During my recent visit, Dr, Schwartz was thoughtful and concerned about my health and provided, me with excellent medical and physical care. I am grateful for his medical care whenever I see him. My last visit was to review the results of an MRI, I appreciate him and his honesty. After the first operation the cyst in my brain sealed up. As a result of this, Dr. Schwartz put in a draining tube. The MRI revealed the cyst only slightly increased in size leading to an improvement in my walking and balance. He provided me with a referral for physical therapy for balance and posture problems, I had a wonderful experience when coming in to doctor’s care. The staff is incredibly friendly and professional.

Dr. Schwartz is an excellent, highly skilled surgeon. I had a meningioma which he successfully removed. He explained the surgery clearly and the possible outcome. He saved my life and eyesight and I would highly recommend him.