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About HCA HealthONE Colorado Chiari Center
At the Colorado Chiari Center at HCA HealthONE Aurora, we expertly diagnose and treat rare neurological disorders. This includes Chiari malformation type I (sometimes called Chiari-1 malformation or CM-1), syringomyelia, non-Chiari syringomyelia and tethered spinal cord.
Chiari malformation type I treatments
Chiari malformation occurs when your skull is smaller than normal, or is misshapen, and presses on your brain, pushing it down. As a result, brain tissue moves into the spinal canal, causing prolonged discomfort.
For some, a Chiari malformation diagnosis is the missing puzzle piece after years of struggling with headaches, dizziness, pain and other symptoms. Before and after diagnosis, there is a lot to learn and understand about Chiari. It can often be difficult to explain to your family and friends the severity of your symptoms and the emotional struggle of having an “invisible” disorder.
Our Chiari specialists want to help you and your family understand the complexities of these rare conditions. We provide a range of comprehensive information, as well as postoperative stories from other patients.
Chiari-related conditions we treat
Other than Chiari malformation, conditions we treat include:
- Chiari-related conditions
- Non-Chiari syringomyelia
- Tethered spinal cord
Syringomyelia care
Syringomyelia occurs when a fluid-filled cyst forms in the spinal cord, causing nerves to compress. Non-Chiari syringomyelia can appear in a variety of ways, including syringomyelia after trauma, syringomyelia due to membranes or scarring, as well as syringomyelia of unknown causes.
Surgical and nonsurgical treatment options
We provide a variety of treatment options for Chiari malformation and related conditions. We make sure to personalize your treatments to meet your unique needs. No matter your condition, our Chiari malformation neurologists go over your personal health situation to figure out which treatment works best for you.
Our Chiari center
At our Chiari center, we offer medical expertise and advanced technology to ensure expert, effective care every step of the way. The diseases and disorders we treat are inherently complex, so our practices concentrate on educating not only you, as the patient, but also your family. Our Chiari specialists will also closely consult with referring physicians throughout the course of your treatment to ensure you receive appropriate follow-up.
Appointments at our Chiari center
We encourage you to be an active participant in your care and treatment planning. This is a key part of our goal to provide the highest quality care to help heal body and mind throughout your journey with Chiari malformation.
To make an appointment, you must fulfill all the requirements on our scheduling checklist:
- Physician Referral
- Patient demographics
- Most recent office visit notes from your referring physician
- Brain MRI (with and without contrast) images and report
- Cervical MRI (without contrast) images and report
- If you already had surgery, the operative report of previous decompression
Your provider can complete the referral request form. Additionally, you may need to request medical records. Once you have filled out the appropriate paperwork, you may email us or fax our Chiari Nurse at (303) 695-2665.
After documentation is received, we will contact you to discuss next steps. If you have any additional questions, please call our office at (303) 695-2663.