A neurosurgeon with expertise in leading-edge endovascular and cerebrovascular surgical techniques has joined UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale, positioning the hospital as a suburban center for minimally invasive treatments of stroke and other vascular diseases.
Omer Doron, MD, PhD, joined the neurosurgery team at the Hinsdale hospital in October, adding a new dimension to UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Neurosciences, which already included a highly experienced team of neurosurgeons specializing in open brain and spine surgeries, as well as neurologists and advanced practice providers who are experts in stroke care.
Dr. Doron uses both minimally invasive and open microsurgical techniques to diagnose and treat vascular diseases of the central nervous system, such as stroke, aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) and carotid artery disease. He also delivers general neurosurgical care, treating a wide range of conditions, including brain tumors, hydrocephalus and head trauma.
The minimally invasive techniques he uses involve deploying small surgical tools through thin tubes known as catheters that he threads through blood vessels, guided by advanced imaging technology. Because these techniques do not involve a large incision, they usually result in faster recoveries and fewer complications.
In addition to treating patients, Dr. Doron is also responsible for helping UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale earn certification as a comprehensive stroke center. As the highest level of certification awarded by The Joint Commission, this recognition indicates a hospital has met rigorous standards for delivering specialized care — including endovascular and cerebrovascular neurosurgery — for the most complex stroke cases.
UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale recently opened a state-of-the-art neurointerventional angiography suite where advanced endovascular and cerebrovascular surgeries can be performed. Dr. Doron has overseen its launch and is working to ensure the hospital checks all the boxes to earn certification from The Joint Commission in the near future. That designation will give emergency medical services providers the green light to bring stroke victims to the hospital for treatment.
The hospital also recently acquired an ARTIS icono biplane system with significantly enhanced 2D and 3D imaging as well as improved visualization of difficult-to-see structures in the brain. Images can be acquired simultaneously from different angles, thus saving time and potentially resulting in a lower dose of contrast media for patients. This system will allow Dr. Doron to perform some of his more complicated procedures.
“Stroke is a time-sensitive disease, and the fact that UChicago Medicine AdventHealth now offers the most comprehensive stroke care — including advanced lifesaving procedures — near our patients’ homes will improve their survival rates and quality of life after stroke,” Dr. Doron said. “Our neurointerventional angiography suite and its specially trained team members put us on a par with the nation’s top healthcare institutions for treating stroke and complex vascular conditions. Our patients now won’t have to travel far to receive the most advanced care available today.”
Other vascular diseases for which Dr. Doron can provide minimally invasive treatments include chronic subdural hematomas and intracerebral hemorrhages, a devastating type of stroke. Additionally, Doron and his team are implementing minimally invasive techniques using neuromonitoring to remove brain tumors safely. “This allows the neurosurgeon to monitor brain functions while operating,” Dr. Doron said.
Although Doron will perform surgeries only at the Hinsdale hospital, he will see patients across UChicago Medicine AdventHealth, which also includes hospitals in Bolingbrook, La Grange and Glendale Heights. “Hinsdale will be our hub for endovascular surgeries, operative neurosurgical cases and neurological ICU care,” Dr. Doron said.
Dr. Doron joined UChicago Medicine and accepted his assignment at UChicago Medicine AdventHealth after completing a fellowship in endovascular and cerebrovascular neurosurgery. His fellowship included a year performing open cerebrovascular neurosurgery under the supervision of David Langer, MD, chair of neurosurgery, at Lenox Hill Northwell Health in New York City. Langer was among four physicians featured in the Netflix documentary series “Lenox Hill,” which premiered in 2020. Dr. Doron’s fellowship also included more than two years at Massachusetts General Hospital, the largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, where he performed more than 2,500 minimally invasive endovascular neurosurgeries.
He earlier served as a physician in the Israel Defense Forces after earning his medical degree from the Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School in Jerusalem and completing his residency in neurosurgery at Hadassah University Hospital. He also holds a doctoral degree in biomedical engineering.
Along with his clinical practice, Dr. Doron is active in clinical and basic science research, developing new treatments, tools, devices and techniques designed to improve care and safety for neurosurgical patients. “I have a huge drive for ensuring our patients get access to the latest treatment advances and for implementing those new therapies safely,” he said. “Our patients will be able to participate in clinical trials for new lifesaving technologies that usually are available only at academic medical centers.”
Schedule an appointment with Dr. Doron today and get specialized neurosurgical care to meet your needs.