Nationally Recognized Experts Open Clinics at Swedish Hospital
NorthShore University HealthSystem (NorthShore) nationally recognized physicians –
Neurosurgeon Julian Bailes, MD and
Neuro-oncologist Ryan Merrell, MD – have expanded access to their clinics on Chicago’s North Side, adding their expertise to the
team of brain specialists at Swedish Hospital. “For patients suffering with brain tumors, care will now be closer to home,” said Dr. Bailes, who leads a multidisciplinary team of physicians as chairman of the department of neurosurgery and co-director of the NorthShore Neurological Institute (NNI).
Innovative Surgical Interventions
Dr. Bailes offers innovative brain cancer treatments, focusing on minimally invasive techniques, which use advanced optics and robotics to reduce operative time and ultimately lead to better patient outcomes. Some of these innovations include:
- GammaTile Therapy, an alternative to traditional radiation treatments that involves surgically implanting a tiny device after the removal of a tumor to target any residual cancer cells with radiation while limiting impact on brain tissue and reducing side effects such as hair loss. Only NorthShore offers this treatment in Illinois.
- Synaptive Modus V™, a robotic technology that improves access, precision and visualization of brain tumors, so neurosurgeons are enabled to remove previously inoperable tumors. Only NorthShore has this technology in the Chicago area.
- NICO BrainPath, the only such navigator technology in the Chicago market using specially designed instruments to move through the natural contours of the brain, minimizing damage to the surrounding tissue, as neurosurgeons get to brain tumors.
- Visualase Laser Thermal Ablation, a minimally invasive technique that uses heat from an ultra-thin laser to reduce damaged tissue in minutes while obliterating the tumor.
Promising Medical Therapies
Dr. Merrell, program director of NorthShore’s groundbreaking neuro-oncology program, is immersed in a full array of the latest medical therapies for brain tumors, some involving promising
clincial trials. One study involves Yellow 560 Dye, which stains cancerous tissues through fluorescence to illuminate the border between normal brain tissue and tumor tissue, so physicians can better see its size, shape and location. Two other clinical trials hold hope for newly diagnosed patients with glioblastoma, a rare but aggressive type of cancer that occurs in the brain. One involves looking at the effectiveness of an immunotherapy vaccine. More than one third of patients are referred from beyond NorthShore’s service area, from locations across the country and around the globe.
“These clinical trials are designed to offer patients promising new methods of cancer detection and treatment,” Dr. Merrell said, “giving new hope to cancer patients.” The world class, collaborative care gives patients at Swedish Hospital the advantage of an entire team of caregivers developing customized treatment plans for brain tumors, which might involve medical, surgical or both types of care to preserve neurologic function.
To learn more about about NorthShore’s Neuro-Oncology Program, visit
NorthShore.org/braintumor or call
877-570-7020 to make an appointment.
About NorthShore University HealthSystem
NorthShore University HealthSystem (NorthShore) is an integrated healthcare delivery system consistently ranked a Top 15 Major Teaching Hospital in the U.S. Headquartered in Evanston, Illinois, NorthShore includes five hospitals – Evanston, Glenbrook, Highland Park, Skokie and Swedish, 140 care sites and 2,300 physicians, serving over 635,000 patients. For more information, please visit
NorthShore.org and
SwedishCovenant.org
