Dr. Mark Luciano Cleveland clinic

[ChiariWolf]

Becker Mark Luciano is a neurosurgeon at Cleveland clank who does work with Chiari patients. His staff is very kind extremely helpful As well they seem to be very helpful and knowledgeable in the area of Chiari and related conditions.
Mark is or was just a tad standoffish until he seen the problem. From there it was full steam ahead and was absolutely NO PRESSURE from him at all. Surgery w not all as expected once again films didn't fully reveal the degree of pressure in my head but the good doctor took care of all.

Follow up care is left to be seen but at this point I would fully give him a ten thumbs up as a humanitarian and Nuerosurgeon fo CM and similar issues. Just make certain he is your Dr of choice.

CW

[ChiariWolf]

Make that 'open' minded.

[ChiariWolf]

Luciano was very to pen minded and through with me. However, at the time I seen him TC  had already been dismissed by Dr Di (a former CCF NS). Eds was not checked but didn't really seem to have symptoms.

CSF flow was checked, in fact going back for a flow study next week. POTS was dismissed at the time as a local ER quackery jack has suggested POTS was the root of my issues.

I did have the blurred vision, ringing ears, pressure, numbness in extremities amount a slew of other symptoms. My wife had written down the concerns she had, he listened to everything.

Just be open with him, state your symptoms, frustration with Drs who don't listen, whatever. We, my wife and I, found him to be a very caring, kind person who just happens to be a very busy but fantastic knowledgable Dr.

If you have specific questions feel free to PM me. I'd be glad to help if possible.

CW

[selmaS]

  Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

  Not ALL Chiari specialists do take time to DX ALL the related conditions.....
I can not answer ur questions for CW but I am sure he will pop on soon to reply.

[ChiariChild]

I was just diagnosed on Feb. 18th. I have pressure headaches, pressure and pain behind my eyes, blurred vision, numbness and tingling, the list goes on. I could only find Dr. Luciano for a NS here in the NE Ohio area. I see him on the 19th of May. I called another NS Dr. Geertman and I am having mri's and referral sent there as well. I want a doctor that is going to check my csf flow, check me for tethered cord, pots, and eds! Did Dr. Luciano go over these things with you?

[selmaS]

  Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum,

The member u r addressing ur reply to has not posted in a while and may no longer be active....u can attempt to contact by sending them a PM (private message) which will generate an e-mail informing them someone is trying to make contact.

If u have ne other questions do not hesitate to ask.

Also u may want to start a new thread with ne questions u may have.

[Obsolete4now]

I stumbled across this thread while researching Dr. Luciano for an upcoming appointment. Could I please ask who did your original surgery in Toledo? I am wondering if it is my current NS.

[ChiariWolf]

If you end up needing a NL, ask about Dr. Baron. He is also at CCF. Understanding of body is there, he's a little less personable but still extremely nice. And he does seem to have an understanding just not nearly what Luciano does.

CW

[NurseGayle]

Thank you both so much for comments. I am new to this site & still figuring it out! I just found these responses after I posted my question today. Sorry for confusion. I am going to try to get into Dr L & see what he thinks. My current dr thinks when we redo my neck it will do the same thing again so hate to go thru that for the same outcome.  I will attempt to keep up with who I asked for info from so I can go back & check for answers in the future. LOL.

[ChiariWolf]

As the original poster I stand by the above comments. Right now I'm just over a year post op from having the mesh installed. As for CM headaches where gone until this cold hit, now I get a few but not even close to what they where before. Mental fog, thus far, is completely gone.

When I was younger had a degree of photographic memory. Some of that has even begun to return! Everyone's results will differ but if I had to do again I'd see Dr Luciano again in a heartbeat. He and his staff ( Deniese ) seem to do more than Dr, they care and understood the whole life changing CM experience.

He is always very busy. So it takes time for an appointment, but while there he is not at rushed with the patient. He listens.

CW

[selmaS]

  ALL u need to do is create a new thread it is not the site, but the fact u r searching for a certain topic and finding older threads....

Do create a new thread.

BTW- TCI has a place u can stay close to the office and hospital that is not as expensive as staying at a hotel....my DD and DH stayed there while I had surgery....

As for ur issues it is possible to have them since TCI is trying to fix what the original surgeon did....

May I ask who u saw at TCI?

[NurseGayle]

I am a chiari malformation patient post surgery 10 years.  I have been going to the top guys in New York at the Chiari Institute since I got very messed up having original surgery in Toledo, Ohio. I am tired of driving 10 hours & waiting forever to get call backs etc. I've been paying a lot of money on hotels etc while there.  Looking for someone closer to home that has a clue about chiari & related issues. I've had the neck fusion 4 yrs ago & just found out its a mess & need redone.  I also have a shunt & am having issues with that.  Can anyone recommend a good neurosurgeon at Cleveland Clinic or elsewhere in OH or MI?  I am disabled due to my condition & am down often with migraines etc.  Any info would be appreciated.  I notice the comment on site are from 2012, is there a better site for info?  Thanks for any suggestions.

[ChiariWolf]

Yes, both doctors work together.

I can say with confidence that Dr Luciano is very easy to work. And has no problem, even in the OR (pre-sleepy time), stopping what he is doing to answer your questions. Just an awesome, likable and knowledgable guy period.

Dr. Recinos does also specialize with CM. She was one of my choices to replace Di but we seen Luciano as my new NL, Eric Baron recommended him. You will have defer to DechenDolker as to her knowledge and ability to explain things as I didn't see her that regard. She seen me on Two occasions doing rounds and once when the nurse was afraid that I'd developed a leak. Personality-wise she was definitely at the very top of the pact, very impressed.

Maybe,  talk with others here to get a general consensus? And make your appointment.

CW

[tattie197635]

Ok Dr. Mark Luciano is the NS that performed the surgery on you and Dr. Receinos is she part of his team? I am looking for a neurosurgon to see me. So would I make a my appointment with Dr. Luciano or Dr, Receino are they both Chiari specialist?

[ChiariWolf]

Granted- Dr Receinos (sp?) was not my NS, I did have opportunity to meet her twice. She was a bit rushed, but very Polite and seemed thorough.

At this point I could not recommend her She didn't really serve as my Dr per say. But I definitely wouldn't discount her if the need presented itself.

Best Wishes!
CW

[tattie197635]

I am so glad that everything went well during your sugery....I am in desperate need now because of all the pain that I'm in to get back to Cleveland Clinic...I am going to call and make an appointment.
Thank you for telling me that what I was experiencing was Chiari related even though Dr. Di said it wasn't.
Thanks to you I will be seeing Dr. Luciano, because I can't take the pain any longer. I trust your judgment!

[ChiariWolf]

In my mind I honestly don"t know.

I can say with complete confidence that it was/is Chiari affected, if that makes sense.

I the beginning Dr Di ran a horrendously painful test called a nucleotide test. Long story short it proved that I Chiari to him. And that he felt my primary issues was a very large Possterior Fossa Arachnoid Cyst. The cyst was growing quickly in turn causing the present Herniation from CM to be getting worse as well. Di went in to take care of the cyst only. He felt this alone would allow the herniation the room to draw back up. We he got inside only to find that the AC was affixed to the cerebellum and couldn't be removed without a very high risk of damaging cerebullar tissue. So it was drained. He also found enough compression from the two on the BS that he was certain death would ensue so he also preformed decompression. That was all just over three years ago.

Now the cyst has been growing again, furthering the herniation again. This time in a different way. Luciano didn't go into detail with this. Basically instead of a nice conical herniation we had the to tonsellir areas just pushed completely down and partially into the c-spine. The AC had quadrupled in size even coming down and out of the skull, up the outside of the posterior skull and completely down the back of the neck. So it was a Chiari Procedure but preformed to help with with compression. He said compression was bad enough that when he cut into the cyst it literally sprayed the OR with CSF. Think I'm glad to have slept through it.

CW

[tattie197635]

Thank You for this, yes I wasn't sure what was going on with Dr. Di myself and the last visit he seemed as if he had become really shollow, I was very upset because I traveled 3 and half hrs and he only spent maybe 7 minutes in the room.
I had been having headaches and just wanted to do another MRI to see that nothing was going on. He told me he couldn't see anything and what ever I was experiencing wasn't Chiari related,which I begg to differ so now I'm in pain to the point that it's affecting my eyes, I can't laugh anymore because if I laugh to hard or to long, I can't take the pain that inlcudes sneezing.
May I ask what was your surgery for, was it Chiari related?
I trust your judgement, and I'm going to make an appointment with him Thanks so Much for the info....and I hope your having smooth recovery.

[ChiariWolf]

I too loved Dr Di at first, toward the end something just didn't seem right with him. Perhaps it was the Stress of personal health issues? Who knows.

As to your question though. Yes, I was seen by Dr Mark Luciano. He has a very upbeat, chipper personality. I tested him and frankly found him to IMO be on top of his game. Very respectful of his staff as they are of him. Post op in the hospital I didn't see much of him. I did see Dr Receinos (forget how to spell that) and a few of his residing assistant Doctors. He was in Chi-town so they too pictures of a potential problem area and got them to him vis mms and I had answers from him in mins.

Long term- Obviously I can't speak for. But currently I can say that even though I did Like Di..... Di did not hold a candle either in personality or skill to Luciano. Knowing Di, you are aware that is saying a whole lot!

So yes, I could with a very clean conscience say make the appointment soon. I say soon as he 'is' a very busy man.

Best of Success to You
CW

[tattie197635]

Question so you were seen by Dr. Mark Luciano at Cleveland Clinic, I had my decompression surgery there on 2009 with Dr. Di but since he's left I was in desperate need of finding someone that has knowledge of Chiari and you would say he is a good Dr. to start seeing?

[ChiariWolf]

:-) Ditto

[selmaS]

  I am so happy this was the way I prayed this would turn out....U have had reservations and I am so happy that they were unfounded and could have been due to a different Dr that was in the mix at the time....

  SIGH.......of relief : )