These scans were taken before and after surgery on a 14-year-old boy with basilar invagination and Chiari malformation. Before the surgery, the boy's brainstem was compressed from both front and back. He experienced weakness, balance issues, dizziness, and difficulty swallowing and speaking. He underwent a Chiari decompression, occipital-cervical fusion, and transnasal odontoid resection at Weill Cornell Neurological Surgery.
The patient recently completed high school, plays basketball every day after school, and started attending college this fall.
Pre-op:
Post-op: