John Strugar, MD

John Strugar, MD, is a neurosurgeon who says he was drawn to medicine because he wanted to help people in a meaningful way.

“The idea of being helpful and making a difference has carried through and I have not been jaded by the years of practice. I look at my patients holistically and establish professional relationships with them,” he says. “I need to understand where they are physiologically and gauge what the best options are for them. If I see any red flags that concern me, whether it’s a hormonal imbalance or metabolic problem, I will initiate treatment or direct them to a specialist. I tell my patients that I don’t just disappear. I am there for them, and I want to make sure they are OK.”

Dr. Strugar is fellowship-trained in skull base surgery but will focus on spinal surgery at Greenwich Hospital, where he is based. “Spine problems affect 90% of the population, and everyone, if you live long enough, will have a spinal problem,” he says. “Most people do not need surgery, but they do need attention for their back or neck pain.”

Spinal stenosis, disc herniations, deformities, tumors, fractures, and degenerative diseases are some of the conditions Dr. Strugar treats with surgery and in nonsurgical ways.

As much as he enjoys surgery, Dr. Strugar says he loves the time he spends in the office talking with patients.

Dr. Strugar has published and presented on brain and spinal tumors, acute spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury, in addition to other topics.