Netanel Ben Shalom, MD — Local services in New York

On December 13,2024, Dr. Netanel Ben-Shalom performed my third brain surgery. When I was a 3-month-old infant (1955) I had a benign tumor removed from the lining of my brain. The tumor went into all three layers. The surgeon expected my skull to grow together as the fontanels do; however, this did not happen. So, at the age of 2 (1957) I underwent another surgery where a metal plate was inserted to cover the missing piece of skull; life was good until this summer when I started noticing some changes. My local dermatologist told me she saw metal sticking out of my head and that I should go back to the doctor who did the surgery. This was not possible due to the passage of time. My local neurosurgeon told me there was nothing wrong, so I turned my attention to New York. I called Lenox Hill Hospital and was connected with the perfect surgeon for me. Two days later I had a telehealth appointment with Dr. Ben-Shalom’s wonderful NP, Liz Lepski and she gave me a prescription for a special CAT scan, after which we had another telehealth appointment where the doctor explained exactly what was happening. The metal plate was thin and flat, and as I got older plate was essentially cutting through my skin and needed to be removed and replaced. We set a date for the surgery. Dr. Ben-Shalom worked to custom design the 3D prosthesis he would be inserting. I had all the presurgical testing done in locally. I saw the doctor and Liz two days before the surgery so they could physically see the area he would be working on. I was impressed upon hearing the doctor asking me questions about my lifestyle, and my opinions unrelated to the surgery. I felt that he really cared about me as a person, not just as a patient. The surgery ended up being more complicated than expected with the dura under the plate missing and the doctor repairing this. A vein had attached itself to the original plate and needed to be delicately removed, and the original plate was decayed. He removed the old surgical scar and performed a complex closure. The nursing team was amazing. I spent three days in the hospital. I was discharged with complete instructions and phone numbers to call his team around the clock if I had a question or problem. Kate, the ICU NP, made sure I understood the discharge instructions before letting me leave. About ten days after surgery, I was feeling like myself again. It is now four weeks after surgery and I just had my stitches removed by Liz. I can return home and resume my normal routine with a few (temporary) exceptions. This amazing doctor and his wonderful team provided top notch care. My family and I truly felt that we were all cared for throughout the entire process. Each team member inquired about my two sons and me. They made the process easy and eased the stress from a very stressful situation. From the moment I started talking to Liz and Dr. Ben-Shalom, I knew they were the team for me. They relieved my anxiety, calmly explained what was happening, and the process to repair it. I truly had confidence in their abilities. On top of being a fabulous doctor, Dr. Neti Ben-Shalom is truly a mench. There is only one Dr. Neti Ben-Shalom, and I am proud to say he is my doctor...

We are very grateful for the dedication and attentive care we received and continue to receive from Dr. Netanel Ben-Shalom. My father was diagnosed with cancer in early June 2023, and we were put in contact with the Lenox Hill Hospital Neuroplastic & Reconstructive Surgery Program. A team led by Dr. Ben-Shalom was quickly assembled that included Dr. Brett A. Miles, Dr. Randy S. D’Amico, Dr. Wesley J. Talcott, and Dr. Morana Vojnic, with assistance from Amy McKeown (Tucker) and Raquel Gindi.

Dr. Ben-Shalom and his team met with us immediately, ordered scans, and created a tumor board to make sure my father would receive the best care possible. During every consultation and follow-up appointment, we were never rushed or had our concerns brushed off. As you can imagine we were terrified and devastated by the diagnosis, but Dr. Ben-Shalom made sure to answer all our many questions and clearly explained what the surgery would entail, how we would move forward post-op, and what our year would look like. Even the surgical coordinator, Tiffany Tsai, made things simple as we moved forward with surgery. We immediately felt safe in Dr. Ben-Shalom’s hands and had confidence in his team. We also felt confident to take my father home, once released from the hospital, as Dr. Ben-Shalom has a 24-hour number you can call in case of emergency or concern and speak with one of his assistants. We were never medically alone during this time and for that we are extremely grateful.

The medical procedure was a complex resection of scalp lesion extending to epidural space with full thickness craniectomy followed by complex closure with local flaps and full thickness skin graft from abdomen. In simpler terms, a malignant tumor penetrated my father’s skull and touched his dura. The surgery removed the tumor, infected skull, and skin, inserted a prosthetic, and used more than one skin graft to close the area. I am happy to report it was successful and thanks to the proficient Neuroplastic & Reconstructive Surgery Program, my father’s head is not contorted, and skin grafts are healing well. As of today, Dr. Ben-Shalom still regularly checks on the skin grafts to ensure proper healing and provides clear instructions with every milestone achieved.

Dr. Ben-Shalom is patient, empathetic, skilled, and thorough in his care and I highly recommend to anyone faced with a similar awful situation to seek him out. We truly feel that if we went anywhere else, we would not be able to move...

I came to Dr. Ben-Shalom and Lenox Hill Neurosurgery with my case history of a prior benign brain tumor surgery, as well as a second cranioplasty which was performed several years after the brain tumor resection/craniotomy. Both the brain tumor resection/craniotomy and cranioplasty were done years apart by 2 different neurosurgeons at 2 different NYC hospitals.

I was so lucky to have found Dr. Ben-Shalom because he is a neurosurgeon whose focus is neuroplastic and reconstructive surgery--so he is obviously brilliant and knowledgeable, but he is also caring and understanding of the particular needs of someone like me who had already gone through a craniotomy and cranioplasty along with a dangerous bacterial infection between the two. I had been through so much already and was nervous because of my history.

What I needed and wanted was a very personalized and very customized approach to my situation which included an old prosthetic skull implant and the various issues I had concerns with. From the first time I met with Dr. Ben-shalom, I knew he would be able to provide me the answers to what I was looking for and apply his expertise. I felt immediately reassured, and I knew I could make the decision to place my care in his hands as a surgeon. From the very start, Dr. Ben-Shalom actively probed back through the many years of my case history's details, and we discussed all my concerns (which were many!) As he addressed each concern, he also developed a unique plan for my skull reconstruction surgery, removal of the old prosthetic, how he would design its replacement, and discussed what he felt would give me the best possible outcome.

Dr. Ben-Shalom is always extremely detailed in taking the time to review scans/MRIs, tests, and will answer any question at any time along the way. His wonderful assistant Liz, and the entire Team are the best and couldn't have been more helpful! They "held my hand" from beginning to end, and always made it easy for me to get in touch with them if any questions popped-up along the way.

I highly recommend Dr. Ben-Shalom, as nothing short of AMAZING! Turns out, I honestly feel like he saved my life! THANK YOU,...