Northwestern Launches Neuroendovascular Service
The Departments of Neurological Surgery and Radiology at the Feinberg School have launched a joint Neuroendovascular Service. Department chairs H. Hunt Batjer, MD, Michael J. Marchese Professor of Neurological Surgery, and Eric J. Russell, MD, Drs. Frederick John Bradd and William Kennedy Professor of Radiology, jointly recruited Bernard R. Bendok, MD, assistant professor of neurological surgery, and Ali Shaibani, MD, assistant professor of radiology, to head the service.
This new collaboration, which began in January, will enhance the interventional neuroradiology program began by Dr. Russell in 1986. Says Dr. Batjer, “Bucking the national trend of turf wars regarding access to endovascular techniques, Northwestern is creating a truly interdisciplinary service with shared resources, personnel, space, expenses, and revenues.”
The program focuses on treatment of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke as well as congenital and acquired cerebrovascular conditions. Rapid triage systems are being implemented under the direction of Mark J. Alberts, MD, professor of neurology, to secure access to stroke victims at the earliest moment after their events.Techniques to treat acute stroke include mechanical and pharmacological thrombolysis, angioplasty, and extracranial and intracranial stenting.
Drs. Bendok and Shaibani will join Northwestern’s already nationally known cerebrovascular program in the management of hemorrhagic stroke conditions.Simple and complex intracranial aneurysms and cranial and spinal vascular malformations will be evaluated by a multidisciplinary group including Drs. Batjer, Bendok, Russell, and Shaibani and Christopher C. Getch, MD, and Sean A. Salehi, MD, assistant professors of neurological surgery. Decisions and treatment recommendations will be made and delivered to the patient and referring physicians.
In addition to the clinical program, teaching and research initiatives have been launched. Neuroradiology and neurosurgical trainees will have access to endovascular training through a Northwestern program in endovascular surgical neuroradiology approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Basic research will be conducted in an angiography facility that features a 3T research magnet.
