America’s Best Hospitals issue of U.S.News & World Report

At Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, neurosurgeons collaborate with neurologists, neuroradiologists, critical care nurses and other specialists to address the full scope of problems affecting the brain, spine and nervous system. From using deep brain stimulation to eliminate tremors of Parkinson’s disease to performing innovative surgeries to treat epilepsy, experts at Rush have helped revolutionize neurological care.

The highly skilled multidisciplinary team at Rush provides compassionate, personalized care in what are often complex situations, and dedicates itself to enhancing patient care through research — both in the lab and in the clinic — and education. Recent additions to our neurosurgical staff demonstrate our commitment to innovation, collaboration, growth and excellence.

The neurology and neurosurgery program at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, has been named as one the top programs in U.S. News and World Report magazine. The program ranked 15th in the nation.

The neurosurgery program placed in the top 10 among U.S. academic medical centers for best craniotomy outcomes in the following areas by University Health System Consortium (UHC) in 2006:

Neurosurgeons at Rush are committed to providing the most advanced neurosurgical care available, and are pioneers in the use of innovative techniques for treating a variety of disorders and conditions.

Clinical Team

For more information on the individual members of the neurosurgery clinical team at Rush, read their profiles:

Conditions We Treat

Neurosurgeons at Rush can provide surgical care for the following conditions:

• Acoustic tumors
• Aneurysms
• Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs)
• Brain tumors
• Carotid stenosis
• Cerebrovascular disease
• Chiari malformation
• Dystonia, tremors and other movement disorders
• Epilepsy
• Parkinson’s disease
• Pediatric neurological conditions
• Pituitary tumors
• Skull base tumors
• Spine conditions, including neck and back disc problems, nerve compression syndromes, stenosis, spinal cord injuries and more
• Spine tumors
• Stroke
• Trigeminal neuralgia

Areas of Special Expertise

Epilepsy

The Rush Epilepsy Center was one of the first centers in the United States to perform epilepsy surgery. As one of the busiest epilepsy centers in the country, it offers the latest therapies and technologies. It also helps patients and families cope with the complex emotional, social and societal issues that accompany epilepsy. In addition to having state-of-the-art computerized video monitoring that pin­points the site and severity of seizure activity, Rush was the first center in Illinois with SISCOM technology, which allows physicians to precisely locate the source of seizures in patients who have not responded to medical treatment.

Stroke and Cerebrovascular Care

Thanks to Rush’s advanced visualization technology, neurological specialists can quickly identify conditions such as aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, transient ischemic attacks and strokes. They offer the appropriate interventions, such as conventional surgeries and less invasive procedures using the endovascular system. Surgeons insert stents to restore blood flow and coils to treat aneurysms as well as use embolization techniques to treat vascular malformations and vascular tumors.

Parkinson’s Disease, Dystonia and Essential Tremor

More deep brain stimulation procedures are performed at Rush than at any other hospital in Illinois. In addition, surgeons at Rush perform pallidotomy and neural transplantation to treat movement disorders.

Spine and Back Care

Neurosurgeons at Rush treat a full range of spine, back and neck conditions. They treat everything from back and neck pain to spinal tumors. Neurosurgeons here specialize in minimally invasive ap­proaches to spinal stenosis, disc herniation and other degenerative spine conditions. Rush offers some of the most advanced treatment options in the region — from the use of genetic engineering to eliminate the need for bone grafting to new proteins that make spinal fusion surgery less painful and debilitating. Many treatment advances were pioneered at Rush, including minimally invasive techniques.

Brain Tumors

Rush offers a multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis and treat­ment of all forms of cancerous and noncancerous tumors of the brain, including pituitary tumors. At Rush, patients have access to clinical trials and the latest diagnostic and treatment options, from stereotactic radiosurgery to other minimally invasive procedures.

Advanced Options

As part of one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers, neurosurgeons at Rush have access to advanced technology, including the following:

• Aneurysm coiling and stenting
• Biplane cerebral angiography
• Cerebral angiography
• Cortical mapping
• Electromyography (EMG)
• Endoscopic skull base surgery
• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); magnetic resonance angiograms (MRA)
• Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)
• Positron emission tomography (PET)
• Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scan
• SISCOM
• Stereotactic radiosurgery
• Three-dimensional CT scans and advanced software to visualize blood vessels and soft tissue
• Video electroencephalograms (EEG)

More Information

• Getting to Rush
• Insurance Plans accepted
• Contact University Neurosurgeons
  (appointments, questions, prescriptions, etc.)
• Patient Intake Form

• To download the patient intake form (in Microsoft Word format) click on the link to your right under “Related Topics.” You can type in the form and either bring it with you on your next visit or send it via fax or e-mail to the doctor’s office when complete.