Rounding at Rush

Genetic testing plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and management of neuromuscular illnesses. Testing can help provide a definitive diagnosis in cases where clinical symptoms alone may not be conclusive. Neuromuscular disorders often share overlapping symptoms, making it difficult to distinguish between them based solely on clinical presentation. Rabia Malik, MD, is a neuromuscular physician in...

The RUSH Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders program treats over 7,000 patients with movement disorders, the majority of whom have Parkinson's disease (PD). RUSH is currently conducting about 150 research projects related to movement disorders; half of those focus on PD. Research on PD at RUSH encompasses a wide breadth of inquiry, from clinical phenotypes to pharmacologic interventions and...

RUSH electrophysiologists treat patients with atrial fibrillation through a number of pharmacologic, non-surgical and surgical approaches, while also helping them modify risk factors to slow down progression of this chronic disease. Our providers treat newly diagnosed, paroxysmal, persistent and permanent atrial fibrillation. RUSH clinicians coordinate patients’ care before, during and after treat...

Through its participation in several stage III and IV lung cancer clinical trials, RUSH is a leader in identifying future treatments for patients with early and late-stage non-small cell lung cancer. By studying genetic mutations and analyzing genetic sequencing, RUSH is also developing new hypotheses about lung cancer progression through its partnership with Tempus. Mary Jo Fidler, MD, is a thora...

Clinicians in the RUSH Spine Center take an integrated, multidisciplinary approach with the assessment and management of spine problems. They provide patients with innovative, evidence-based and individualized non-surgical and surgical treatment plans aimed at rapidly restoring function and quality of life. Hong Wu, MD, is a physiatrist and the Director of the RUSH Spine Center. Ricardo Fontes, MD...

Whether cancer patients are newly diagnosed, currently receiving treatment or having completed treatment, the role of a physiatrist is to optimize their function and quality of life. While physiatry has grown in its incorporation in cancer care nationwide, RUSH is one of a small number of hospitals offering dedicated physical medicine and rehabilitation care for its cancer patients. Obada Obaisi,...

Critical limb ischemia is the end stage of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). With early detection and intervention of PAD, RUSH providers can prevent critical limb ischemia and major amputation for patients. RUSH is one of the only academic medical centers in Chicago and the Midwest to perform complex revascularization to restore blood flow and salvage limbs. Kumar Madassery, MD, is the director...

Clinicians in the RUSH Department of Urology are some of the country’s leading laparoscopic and robotic surgeons who offer patients the most advanced diagnostic capabilities for diagnosing urologic cancers , including prostate cancer. Once a timely, accurate diagnosis has been made, RUSH urologists create tailored treatment plans that leverage leading-edge treatments to improve patient outcomes an...

The DRAGON 1 and 2 trials are large, multicenter, international trials that are evaluating the use of combined portal and hepatic vein, or double vein, embolization, to treat advanced liver cancer and metastases. Double vein embolization has the potential to become a new standard of care that could provide patients with life-extending and even life-saving treatment. Erik Schadde, MD, FACS, FEBS (H...

RUSH University System for Health has a high-volume program for breast cancer treatment and reconstruction , incorporating a multidisciplinary approach that involves our plastic surgery, surgical oncology and medical oncology teams. This approach ensures our patients are treated with a coordinated, individualized care plan. RUSH also performs a wide range of leading-edge implant and flap breast re...

The RUSH University System for Health is nationally recognized for its delivery of timely, effective stroke care and expertise in treating some of the most complex stroke cases. Within the past year, three multidisciplinary subspecialty clinics were opened at RUSH to provide an even greater level of specialty stroke care for patients. Rima Dafer, MD, is a vascular neurologist and the director of t...

Led by Mark Wiet, MD, the RUSH Acoustic Neuroma Program offers personalized specialty care for patients with acoustic neuroma , a benign and often slow-growing tumor of the nerve that connects the ear and the brain. The program brings together specialists in neurotology, neurosurgery, radiation oncology, neuro-oncology, neuroradiology, audiology and physical therapy, who have extensive expertise i...

As the no. 3 ranked neurology and neurosurgery program in the country, RUSH University Medical Center is at the forefront of providing leading edge care and participating in pathfinding neuro-interventional research. At the center of this work is R. Webster Crowley, MD, who discusses Rush’s use of the CorPath robotic system, Woven EndoBridge Embolization System and the RIST catheter. He is the chi...

Polyvascular disease is the presence of atherosclerosis in more than one arterial bed. While it is not a new phenomenon, polyvascular disease has been brought to the forefront in recent years through the expansion of clinical and research endeavors that include non coronary atherosclerosis, specifically lower extremity peripheral artery disease and cerebrovascular disease. The relevance of polyvas...

The RUSH Cancer Center has a deep commitment to accelerating innovations that bring cutting edge research to the bedside. Two examples of those innovations that Steven Gitelis, MD, and RUSH have an active role in developing are 3-D printed models, which can help to preserve healthy tissue when treating benign and malignant bone and soft tissue tumors, and hybrid cold plasma, which can help stop th...

The movement disorders neurology group at RUSH University Medical Center is one of the largest and most experienced groups in the world, with clinicians who specialize in managing the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. One of the treatment modalities they use to treat these patients is deep brain stimulation (DBS). DBS helps patients with movement disorders control their...

The vascular and interventional radiology department at RUSH University Medical Center provides the most current and clinically comprehensive care to patients. Several of Rush’s internationally renowned interventional radiologists have helped to pioneer and advance many interventional techniques used today. By performing the latest procedures and engaging in advanced research, our providers are wo...

The RUSH Center for Skull Base and Pituitary Surgery, a leading program in the treatment of  skull base disorders, brings together experts from more than 10 specialties to provide personalized, comprehensive care for patients with complicated skull base pathology such as pituitary adenoma, acoustic neuroma, meningioma and cerebrospinal fluid leak/encephalocele. Pete Batra, MD, the Chair of the Dep...

RUSH University Medical Center and the RUSH Center for Congenital Structural Heart Disease have been at the forefront in developing state-of-the-art therapies for congenital and acquired structural disorders. Minimally invasive innovations, such as transaortic valve replacement (TAVR), MitraClip and the CoreValve, have helped patients enjoy faster recovery times, less pain and, typically, less car...

Five years ago, RUSH University Medical Center was treating very few patients with fibrolamellar carcinoma. Today, RUSH treats the largest number of patients in the country with this rare type of liver cancer, which typically affects adolescents and young adults. During that span, RUSH has developed innovative, cutting edge treatments and is considered a national leader in the treatment of this di...

Cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) perfusion with flow quantification is the latest advancement in nuclear stress testing and is used to examine how well blood flows to the heart muscle. RUSH is the first and only hospital in Illinois to offer this technology. Dr. Rupa Sanghani, a cardiologist in the RUSH University System for Health, discusses the ways RUSH incorporates cardiac PET perfus...

The RUSH System for Health excels in stroke prevention and care. RUSH University Medical Center is certified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by the Joint Commission and RUSH has two certified Primary Stroke Centers in Oak Park and Aurora/Fox Valley. Given the time-sensitive nature of stroke care, RUSH seeks to expand current treatment windows and improve technologies used to treat emergency strok...

The head and neck cosmetic and reconstructive surgery specialists at RUSH University Medical Center treat patients whose appearance, ability to speak, swallow or smile has been affected by cancer surgery or radiation therapy. They also provide a wide range of in-office facial cosmetic procedures and surgical rejuvenation techniques. Peter Revenaugh, MD, the head of the section of Facial Plastic an...

Launched in 2020, RUSH’s breast cancer risk assessment program systematically assesses the risk of breast cancer, offering patients who qualify opportunities for supplemental screening in order to improve their breast cancer detection rate. Mia Levy, MD, PhD, the director of the Cancer Center at RUSH University Medical Center and the system vice president for cancer services at the RUSH University...

As pioneers in the treatment of multiple sclerosis and other neurologic conditions, RUSH delivers life-changing treatment for patients in its state-of-the-art infusion program. Thomas Shoemaker, MD, a neurologist in the RUSH University System for Health, joins Rounding at Rush to discuss RUSH’s infusion program, what he and his colleagues have learned about infusions during the COVID-19 pandemic a...