Welcome
Special Announcement:
Pioneer Cranial Nerve/Trigeminal Neuralgia
Specialist Joins Allegheny General Hospital
Department of Neurosurgery
 

Our Mission:

This site introduces patients, their families and supporters to health information and treatment resources in the West Penn Allegheny Health System and around the world.  Our focus is on several specific medical disorders listed below.  We  provide links to health care providers on the WPAHS staff who are knowledgeable of these disorders, and references to some of their published work.  The site offers a  "FAQ file" on Internet health resources that can help you to answer questions that often arise during medical treatment. 

Our mission grows from a vision of the relationship between healthcare consumers and their care providers, and of the patient's rights in this relationship.  We believe patients should be encouraged to participate actively as partners in their health care management team.  The better informed the patient, the more likely it is that diagnosis will be timely and accurate, and treatment will be effective.  Likewise, there is much truth in an old saying:  an ounce of prevention (or early detection) is worth a pound of cure. 

This does not mean, of course, that any responsible person would encourage patients to diagnose or treat themselves based on what is presented here.  Please see our disclaimers.  Instead, we hope to promote an attitude of thoughtful preparation, to help you ask useful questions of your doctor and to understand the answers.  The objective is for you to be able to make informed decisions about your health and well being, in collaboration with licensed healthcare providers.


Our Areas of Focus:

1) Face pain (facial neuralgia and other disorders with similar symptoms)
2) Trigeminal Neuralgia
3) Hemifacial Spasm
4) Meniere's Disease 
5) Vertigo
6) Tinnitis
7) Hypertension  (high blood pressure)
8) Torticalis and Spasmodic Torticalis

For each of these areas, we try to address several common questions:

1)  What are the definition and typical symptoms of the disorder?
2)  What are the treatment alternatives?
3)  Where can I find the most recent research on new treatments?
4)  Where can I find a physician or other licensed care provider to supervise my treatment?
5)  Are there support groups for this disorder near the place where I live?
6)  What resources does the West Penn Allegheny Health System offer for this problem?
7)  What other resources may be available? 


Our Team:

Dr. Jannetta and several colleagues are working together in close collaboration, to assist patients and professionals who deal with the medical disorders discussed on this Website.   This productive interchange creates a "world-class center for excellence" with an outreach that extends well beyond the northeast United States.  The following are among our contributors:

Peter Jannetta, M.D., Professor of Neurosurgery, Allegheny General Hospital. James E (Jack) Wilberger, M.D., Vice Chairman (Academic), Division of Neurosurgery.  Professor of Surgery (Neurosurgery),  Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University 
Jon Brillman, M.D., Director, Division of Neurology,  Professor of Neurology, Medical College of Pennsylvania  and Hahnemann University
Moises A. Arriaga, M.D., Adjunct Associate Professor of Surgery   (Otolaryngology and Neurosurgery), MCP Hahnemann University
Susan M. Baser, M.D., Allegheny General Back Institute, Department of Neurology, Allegheny General Hospital
Douglas Chen, M.D., Adjunct Assistant Professor of Surgery (ENT), Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University 
Patrick P. Flannagan, M.D. Edward K. Herres, M.D.
  • Medical Career and Accomplishments
  • Treatment Interests: [to be completed]
  • To contact Dr. Herres:  Department of Anesthesiology, Allegheny General Hospital
    • D. Kyle Kim, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery,  MCP Hahnemann University

    Site Policies:
    Personal Privacy:  This site collects top-level statistics on our visitors.  We do not collect information that reveals your personal identity or email address, unless you give us that information yourself. We do not use "cookies" or interactive "spyware" of any kind.  If you write to us, you should understand that your email is not a secure document and might be intercepted by third parties we know nothing about.  However, nobody affiliated with this site will disclose your personal communications to any person outside WPAHS unless you ask us to do so or give your consent.

    Professional Standards:  We strive to meet or exceed all reasonable standards of medical and editorial professionalism.  Visitors have a right to know who wrote anything published or summarized here, what their claim to authority is, the justification for any claim of treatment or product effectiveness, and how the site is funded or sponsored.  The site also provides a link for followup comment or inquiry, on each page.  These standards are well captured in the HONCODE principles:

    We subscribe to the
    HONCODE principles
    of the Health On the Net
    Foundation

     This site is a public service of the Department of Neurosurgery at WPAHS -- we do not carry advertisement banners and we have no commercial funding dedicated to the site.
    DISCLAIMER:
    Every effort has been made by the author(s) to provide accurate, up-to-date information. However, the medical knowledge base is dynamic and errors can occur. By using the information contained herein, the viewer willingly assumes all risks in connection with such use.  Neither the author nor WPAHS shall be held  responsible for errors, omissions in information herein nor liable for any special, consequential, or exemplary damages resulting, in whole or in part, from any  viewer(s)' use of or reliance upon, this material. 
     
    CLINICAL DISCLAIMER:
    Clinical information is provided for educational purposes and not as a medical or professional service. Person(s) who are not medical professionals should have clinical information reviewed and interpreted or applied only by the appropriate health professional(s). 
    Site Index
    Frequently Asked Questions on Healthcare
    Face Pain Overview  * Trigeminal Neuralgia *  Hemifacial Spasm  * Meniere's Disease  * Vertigo * Tinnitis* Hypertension * Torticollis and Spasmodic Torticollis

    For questions or comments, please contact:
    aghneuro@wpahs.org * Department of Neurosurgery *
    Allegheny General Hospital * 320 East North Ave. *
    Pittsburgh, PA 15212 * (412) 359-6200 * 
    Toll Free: 877-284-2000

    © 2000 West Penn Allegheny Health System
    Last Updated: September 31, 2000
    Site Content Developed By; Richard A. "Red" Lawhern, Ph.D.

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