Why Choose Us for Neurosurgical Care?

Our neurosurgeons are often among the first in the Chicago area to become skilled in new, innovative surgical techniques. For instance, we were among the first to perform minimally invasive lumbar disk surgery and to treat Parkinson's disease, pain, and other conditions with drug pumps and spinal and brain electrodes.

Experienced Surgeons

Research shows that experience greatly influences surgery success rates. Most of our board-certified surgeons subspecialize in a specific type of neurosurgery--for example, neurovascular surgery or spinal neurosurgery. This has given them the opportunity to become experts in performing a number of specific procedures.

Because of their expertise and experience, our neurosurgeons often perform successful surgeries on patients who are viewed as inoperable or a high risk elsewhere.

Superior Outcomes

Our neurosurgery program scores high on a key quality indicator. A recent report found that significantly fewer patients died after undergoing neurosurgical procedures at the Medical Center than statistical models predict based on the severity of patient cases. The University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) Clinical Outcomes Report for July 2008 through June 2009 showed that the Medical Center's risk-adjusted mortality rate was ranked second among 105 academic medical centers. In fact, the Medical Center's observed-versus-expected mortality rate of 0.37 is about one-third the predicted rate of 1.0.

Observed-Versus-Expected Mortality Rate

Since the last quarter of 2007, the observed-versus-expected mortality rates for neurosurgery procedures performed at the Medical Center have been consistently better than the average, according to UHC data. » Learn more about our neurosurgical outcomes data

Advanced Treatment Options

The advanced stereotactic, or 3-D computer-imaging techniques available here enable our neurosurgeons to plan procedures in advance and with greater precision. For instance, these stereotactic techniques allow our surgeons to precisely locate the area of the brain that's responsible for seizures. In fact, these models have helped us identify brain abnormalities that were missed on prior MRI studies. Such patients--who otherwise might have gone untreated--were then able to undergo surgery to control their seizures.

Multidisciplinary Care

Our aim is to provide the best possible treatment--whether surgical or not. Our neurosurgeons work side by side with some of the nation's leading neurologists, oncologists, orthopaedic surgeons, and other specialists. All the experts at the University of Chicago Medical Center work together to find the treatment that best meets a patient’s needs.

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