Meet Ori Barzilai: Neurosurgeon at MSK

Dr. Ori Barzilai treats spinal tumors and metastatic spine cancers at MSK using minimally invasive and robotic surgery techniques for faster recovery.
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 Memorial Sloan Kettering neurosurgeon Ori Barzilai

Ori Barzilai, MD

Spine Neurosurgeon

Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Spine tumors and spinal cancer
  • Spinal disorders
  • Neurologic-related conditions - neurofibromatosis

My Specialties

  • Minimally invasive surgery
  • Endoscopic spinal surgery
  • Robotic surgery
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Dr. Barzilai's Office Information
Languages: English & Hebrew
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Get to Know Me

I am a neurosurgeon who specializes in caring for people with primary spine tumors or cancer that has spread to the spine from other parts of the body. I have specialty training in using leading-edge surgical methods to treat spinal tumors and degenerative disorders. These include minimally invasive techniques, spinal endoscopy, image guidance, and robotics. Advanced approaches allow me to remove tumors with the highest level of precision while making the lowest impact on my patients’ quality of life.

As a member of MSK’s Multidisciplinary Spine Tumor Center, I work with a team of specialists, including radiation oncologists, interventional radiologists, pain specialists, rehabilitation specialists, and medical oncologists. Providing our patients with comprehensive care requires a true team approach. At MSK, our vast experience and expertise make us uniquely suited to do this. For example, by combining surgery with radiosurgery and targeted therapies, we have revolutionized the way we treat spine tumors. In some instances, we are even able to offer our patients surgical strategies that won’t require them to be admitted to the hospital.

I am also involved in clinical research to improve treatments for spine tumors. I am particularly focused on patient outcomes and developing new therapies and technologies. My current work involves looking for ways to make systemic therapies, such as immunotherapy, more effective in treating spine tumors.  

A cancer diagnosis can cause a great deal of anxiety and uncertainty. The thought of having to undergo spinal surgery can make these concerns worse. When I meet with patients and their loved ones, I truly listen to them and hear their expectations, goals, and fears before we agree on a clear treatment plan together. I hope that after seeing me they feel safe, calm, and confident with their care team.  

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my wife and children. We love to travel and go to the beach. I am an avid runner, a passionate soccer fan, and an unexceptional guitar player.

What I Do at MSK

I'm a spine neurosurgeon, which is a doctor with special training in surgery on the spine.

  • Director of Minimally Invasive Spine Oncology
Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Spine tumors and spinal cancer
  • Spinal disorders
  • Neurologic-related conditions - neurofibromatosis
  • Schwannomatosis

My Specialties

  • Minimally invasive surgery
  • Endoscopic spinal surgery
  • Robotic surgery
Education & Honors

Education

  • MD, Tel Aviv University

Residencies

  • Neurological Surgery – Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center

Fellowships

  • Spine Oncology – Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Board Certifications

  • Neurological Surgery (Israel)

Awards and Honors

  • Globus Spine Fellow Award (2017)

Insurance Information

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If you don't have health insurance or are worried that your care may not be fully covered, our financial assistance programs may be able to help.

If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.

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Contact and Location

Office Phone
Location
New York, NY
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
1275 York Avenue New York NY 10065
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Colleagues

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.

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Clinical Trials

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Find a Clinical Trial for You

Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.

You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.

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Research and Publications

Barzilai O, Laufer I, Yamada Y, Higginson DS, Schmitt AM, Lis E, Bilsky MH. Integrating Evidence-Based Medicine for Treatment of Spinal Metastases Into a Decision Framework: Neurologic, Oncologic, Mechanicals Stability, and Systemic Disease. J Clin Oncol. 2017 Jul 20;35(21):2419-2427.

Barzilai O, Laufer I, Robin A, Xu R, Yamada Y, Bilsky M. Hybrid Therapy for Metastatic Epidural Spinal Cord Compression: Technique for Separation Surgery and Spine Radiosurgery. Neurosurgery (suppl: Operative  Neurosurgery)

Barzilai O, Amato MK, McLaughlin L, Reiner AS, Ogilvie SQ, Lis E, Yamada Y, Bilsky MH, Laufer I. Hybrid surgery–radiosurgery therapy for metastatic epidural spinal cord compression: A prospective evaluation using patient-reported outcomes. Neuro-Oncology Practice. 2017 Jul 22.

Barzilai O, Lidar Z, Constantini S, Salame K, Bitan-Talmor Y, Korn A. Continuous mapping of the corticospinal tracts in intramedullary spinal cord tumor surgery using an electrified ultrasonic aspirator. J Neurosurg Spine. 2017 Aug;27(2):161-168.

Sowash M, Barzilai O, Kahn S, McLaughlin L, Boland P, Bilsky MH, Laufer I. Clinical outcomes following resection of giant spinal schwannomas: a case series of 32 patients. J Neurosurg Spine. 2017 Apr;26(4):494-500.

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Barzilai’s journal articles. Pubmed is an online index of research papers and other articles from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

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Disclosures

Members of the MSK Community often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community. These activities outside of MSK further our mission, provide productive collaborations, and promote the practical application of scientific discoveries.

MSK requires doctors, faculty members, and leaders to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public. Not all disclosed interests and relationships present conflicts of interest. MSK reviews all disclosed interests and relationships to assess whether a conflict of interest exists and whether formal COI management is needed.

Ori Barzilai discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

No disclosures meeting criteria for time period


If you’re a patient at MSK and would like more information about your doctor’s external relationships, please talk with your doctor.

The information published here is a complement to other publicly reported data and is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.

This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2024 through disclosure submission in spring 2025). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at ecoi@mskcc.org.


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