Joseph Ransohoff The trailblazer in neurology

Early Life and Education

Dr. Joseph 'Joe' Ransohoff, (July 1, 1915- January 30, 2001) hails from a family of surgeons (his grandfather & father were surgeons). Joe was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and received his medical degree from the University of Chicago in 1941. Three years into his residency he was drafted into the US Army and served in both the Battle of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. Career Ransohoff completed his residency at Montefiore Hospital. He went on to teach at Columbia University and practice surgery at the New York Neurologic Institute at Presbyterian Hospital. In 1962, Ransohoff was invited to become chairman of the New York University School of Medicine, a prestigious position he held for over thirty years.

Accomplishments

Dr Joe was best known for his creative thinking and for developing new instruments, machines, surgical approaches and techniques. He broke norms in the field of neurology and neuro-surgery. He helped define and develop specialty fields like pediatric neurosurgery, neurointerventionalists and neuroradiology, fields that never existed before him or had limited capacity.

The first brain AVM was done under the leadership of Dr Joseph. An AVM is a tangle of abnormal and poorly formed blood vessels. They have a higher rate of bleeding than normal vessels. In 1970 this condition was treated by neurosurgeons. In a conversation between Dr Joe and A. Imparato, a vascular surgeon, Dr Imaparato said he could do embolizations by catheter. Embolization is a non-surgical, minimally-invasive procedure that involves the selective occlusion of blood vessels by purposely introducing emboli. The emboli would then clog the artery and hence stop the bleeding. Thus was done the first brain AVM treated using a transfemoral catheter.

 In 1992, Dr. Ransohoff left New York University Hospital for Tampa, Florida, at the behest of the James A. Haley VA Hospital, which wanted to reform its neurosurgical department. Professionally he greatly improved the neurosurgical and spinal centers at the VA Hospital and Tampa General Hospital, and significantly added to the brain cancer research programs at Moffitt Cancer Center. 

Legacy

Ben Casey was an American medical drama which ran on ABC from 1961-66. The title character played by Edward Vince was scripted based on Dr Joseph Ransohoff. Dr Ransohoff also served as an advisor to creators of the series.

"Ben Casey" - The TV Series

The book "Brain Surgeon an Intimate View of His World" by Lawrence Shainberg was written based on the life of Dr. Ransohoff.

Dr Josesph Ransohoff has published several hundred papers, journals and holds several patents.