Page 28 - Best of the Best 2020

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2020 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
28N • BEST OF THE BEST
FINALIST:BESTNEUROLOGIST/NEUROSURGEON AliKrisht,M.D,FACS>>
Local neurosurgeon helps patients get back to living
As a leader in the world of neurosurgery, Ali Krisht, M.D., FACS, puts his knowledge and experience to work in central Arkansas.
His never-give-up attitude and care for patients has made him a finalist for Best Neurologist/ Neurosurgeon in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s 2020
Best of the Best readers’ poll.
“It’s an absolute honor to be recognized by our commu-
nity for my work and the impact we have on people’s lives,” Krisht said, “but I’m one member of a team of exceptional surgeons, nurses and staff here at the Arkansas Neuroscience Institute that is wholly committed to the care of patients with neurological diseases. This honor is very much a reflection on their hard work and dedication as well.”
Originally aspiring to become a professional soccer player, a knee injury and a moment of reflection led Krisht down a different path. Now he is a world- renowned neurosurgeon and the director of the Arkansas Neuroscience Institute at CHI St. Vincent. He also edits the Contemporary Neurosurgery journal and, in 2019, received the international Herbert Olivecrona Award, which is commonly referred to as the Nobel Prize for neurosurgery.
Krisht came to Arkansas in 1994 to study under Dr. M. Gazi Yasargil and Dr. Ossama Al-Mefty, who, Krisht said,
were two inspirational neurosurgeons and leaders in the field who became his mentors. Krisht joined CHI St. Vincent in 2009 to establish the ANI, an internationally recognized neu- rosurgery destination in central Arkansas where surgeons can learn how the world’s best neurosurgeons conduct procedures or address unexpected discoveries. He said CHI St. Vincent completed the latest phase, the ANI Research and Education Center, last June in Sherwood. The ANI has treated patients from all 75 counties in Arkansas and from 38 states.
“The opening of the ANI Research and Education Cen- ter last year was the realization of a decades-long dream, but in reality, it is only the beginning,” Krisht said. “There still remains so much that we do not understand about the brain. We know far, far more today, but that progress is still minute compared to our ignorance about how the brain functions and how diseases occur. We have so much more work left to do.”
Krisht said he and his team stand out because they don’t give up on patients, even when others tell them a patient’s condition is nonoperable or cannot be treated.
“We do not play the statistics game because we realize that each of those lives is invaluable to their families,” he said. “Each case is an opportunity to save someone’s life and expand our knowledge for the future.”
SUBMITTED PHOTO
In 2019, Ali Krisht, M.D., FACS, and director of the Arkansas Neuroscience Institute at CHI St. Vincent, won the Herber t Olivecrona Award, commonly referred to as the Nobel Prize for Neurosurgery. He is also a finalist for Best Neurologist/Neurosurgeon in the 2020 Best of the Best readers’ poll.
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