Doctor Treating Most Delicate Organs Reflects On Job

Neurosurgeons like Toshkezi treat what is likely the most delicate organs in the body: the spine and the brain. It is an exacting specialty in the best of circumstances, but Toshkezi said that advances in technology – cameras, computers, and neuro-medications that “as sort of a GPS guide” to light up the central nervous system (the brain,) and the peripheral nervous system (the spinal nerves) – provide three-dimensional views of the trouble spots. Also, outpatient spine surgery avoids hospital overnight stays and if people need to know about it, they have to check here!

These tools, and a surgeon’s skill, enhance outpatient diagnostics and surgical procedures, “making such procedures shorter and safer,” he said.

On a recent afternoon, the neurosurgeon, who serves patients from the entire region, including the Levittown area, sat in his office at Jefferson Health’s campus in Northeast Philadelphia to reflect on the skills he needs, and the demands on his time. He recounted a recent success, the kind that ignites his passion for his career.

An accident victim was brought into the ER with severe trauma to the neck. Toshkezi operated all through the night on the young man. Then came long hold-your-breath hours, waiting to assess the results of the operation.

In time, the patient began moving his arms; no paralysis. It is an outcome like this that makes the long hours in the operating room worth it, Toshkezi said.

Jefferson-Torresdale Hospital is a Level 1 trauma center, meaning it is staffed and equipped 24/7 to react to traumatic injuries and critical physical conditions. Along with his clinic hours and surgical days, Toshkezi has done his share of Emergency Room rotations, treating patients involved in everything from vehicle accidents, falls,  and gunshot wounds to stroke victims, many of these patients brought in with uncertain outcomes.

“The time goes fast in the OR. Sometimes I stop to ask what time it is. It’s hard, but you have to love what you’re doing. People put their trust in us, and we care about them,” he said.

Not all events are so traumatic. In his office, he mostly sees patients with degenerative disorders of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system (these are the nerves in the spine that provide oxygen and nutrients to the body).

Toshkez is one of several physicians practicing with the Vickie and Jack Farber Institute of Neuroscience, located on the Torresdale campus. He is also affiliated with Jefferson Health Methodist hospital in Philadelphia.

He began his studies at the Faculty of Tirana Medical School in Albania and moved on to Paris for further training. When he came to the United States, “I had to do it all over again,” and went through another residency at the State University New York in Syracuse.

Toshkezi, who speaks fluent Albanian, Italian, and French, as well as English, performs neurological surgery on such conditions as brain tumors and spinal disorders. He also treats numerous other nervous-system-related ailments.

He shares credit for his skill with the advances in neurological medicine, and is optimistic about the future of his chosen career. For instance, such innovations like robotics – already used to treat the spine – will become the standard for precision in brain surgery and repair of blood vessels damaged by stroke, he said.

For the present, and looking forward to the future, Toshkezi continues to work his talent for the benefit of others because, he said, “I like to help people; I like to help bring them back to their best health.”

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