DR. DAVID LANGER, DISCUSSING CTE / NFL BRAIN INJURIES

David Langer, MD, is the chair of neurosurgery at Lenox Hill Hospital, vice president of neurosurgery for Northwell Health’s Western region. A renowned neurosurgeon and expert in cerebral revascularization, he treats patients who have brain tumors, including acoustic neuromas and meningiomas, and cerebrovascular conditions such aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) and Moyamoya disease. He also treats minimally invasive spine, spinal cord injury and AVMs.

“As part of leading and growing our neurosurgery program, I aim to innovate and bring a high level of expertise and energy to my patients,” says Dr. Langer. He was an early adopter of using the exoscope for cerebral bypass surgery. The exoscope projects high-definition, three-dimensional images on a large screen in the operating room, greatly improving the accuracy of procedures.

Dr. Langer earned his medical degree and completed a neurosurgical residency at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He also received mid-career fellowship training in cerebrovascular disease treatment at the University at Buffalo. At Northwell, he practices within a multi-disciplinary team, collaborating with ENT, plastic surgery, psychiatry, radiation oncology, physician assistants and nurses to provide personalized care plans.

Dr. Langer is dedicated to teaching the next generation of doctors as a professor of neurosurgery and radiology at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He also values public education and was featured in Lenox Hill—a Netflix Originals docuseries that shadows four doctors as they navigate their daily lives and care for their patients—and frequently contributes to various media outlets on neurosurgery. A technological innovator, Dr. Langer developed Playback Health, a smartphone app designed to enhance the patient experience. He’s also an instructor for BRAINTerns, a virtual summer internship program for students worldwide.

He is a member the numerous medical societies and has published extensively in peer-reviewed medical journals. He has been a Castle Connelly Top Doctor New York Metro Area (digital guide) for the last several years.

“I see patients when they’re most vulnerable,” says Dr. Langer. “The most rewarding part of my job is guiding them through not only the physical part of their treatment and recovery, but also the psychological and emotional part.”