Howard A. Riina, MD

I chose to pursue a career in neurosurgery because I wanted to help people, and I was drawn to patient care and treatment innovation. I enjoy working with people, and as a vascular neurosurgeon, my goal is to educate my patients and make them feel at ease in dealing with complex problems. It’s important that I establish friendly and communicative relationships with my patients. I want them to feel comfortable asking questions and discussing their concerns with me.

At NYU Langone, I specialize in surgical and endovascular treatment for people who have cerebrovascular disorders of the brain and spinal cord. Cerebrovascular conditions are those that affect the blood vessels and blood flow to the brain and spinal cord. This includes patients with stroke, ruptured and unruptured brain aneurysms, and carotid disease, as well as vascular malformations.

I collaborate with neurologists, neuro-radiologists, and neuro-rehabilitation specialists to treat people who have had strokes and other complex neurovascular conditions at NYU Langone’s Center for Stroke and Neurovascular Diseases. Our approach is collaborative, and we treat our patients by providing expertise in all aspects of their care. By working together, we are able to improve patient outcomes and treat lesions that are often thought to be untreatable or thought to be associated with a poor prognosis. We also focus on patient-centered care, with the goal of embracing our patients and their families by keeping them involved and informed during every aspect of their treatment.

In addition to providing care, I am active in research and have been involved in developing new devices and treatments for many neurovascular conditions. My most recent work has involved the development of new minimally invasive devices to treat brain aneurysms, a tracheal stent to treat vocal cord and airway collapse, as well as intra-arterial chemotherapy for recurrent malignant brain tumors.

Additionally, I have been named one of America’s top doctors by Castle Connolly for more than five years. I am also chair of the credentialing endovascular surgery advisory committee and director of the board of directors for The American Board of Neurological Surgery.