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Meet Our Team
Physicians and Support Staff for Uterine Fibroid Embolization
LaGrange Memorial Hospital is one of the nation's leading centers for the treatment of uterine fibroids.
| Drs. Smith and Sewall pioneered the procedure in their area. They were among the first physicians in the U.S. to receive special training in UFE, and the first to perform UFE procedures in the Midwest. |
To schedule a consultation, visit our Location & Appointments page.
Luke E. Sewall, MD
Dr. Sewall is a board-certified physician, and was one of the first doctors in the nation to receive special training in performing uterine fibroid embolization. He and Dr. Smith have performed hundreds of UFE procedures, and have participated in research and clinical studies to document the safety and effectiveness of UFE.
Dr. Sewall received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, where he also completed an internship in surgery. He completed residency training at the University of Wisconsin followed by a fellowship in interventional radiology at the Charles Dotter Institute of Interventional Therapy of the Oregon Health Sciences University. He is certified by the American Board of Radiology, and holds a Certificate of Added Qualification in Interventional Radiology. In addition to UFE, his special areas of interest include non-surgical placement of Endovascular Grafts – which can replace some types of bypass surgery; and other interventional radiology techniques, such as procedures to open clogged blood vessels, treat blood clots or stop bleeding without the risks associated with open surgery. Dr. Sewall is a member of several professional societies, including the Radiologic Society of North America, the American Roentgen Ray Society, the Society of Interventional Radiology and the American Medical Association.
He has authored and co-authored numerous articles, scientific exhibits and book chapters.
Steven J. Smith, MD
Dr. Smith is a pioneer in performing UFE, and an active participant in research studies and clinical trials to validate the safety and efficacy of UFE as a treatment for uterine fibroids.
He and his colleague Dr. Sewall were among the first interventional radiologists in the nation to complete specialty training in the procedure. In April 1998, Dr. Smith and the Interventional Radiology team at LaGrange Memorial Hospital performed the Midwest’s first Uterine Artery Embolization procedure as a treatment of uterine fibroids. Since then, hundreds of women have been treated with UFE by Dr. Smith and his colleagues. LaGrange Memorial Hospital is recognized as one of the nation’s leading centers for the treatment of uterine fibroids.
Dr. Smith earned his medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. He served his internship and residency in Radiology at the Henry Ford Hospital, also in Detroit. He then completed a fellowship in Interventional Radiology and in CT/Ultrasound at Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, where he is now a clinical associate in Diagnostic Radiology.
Dr. Smith is certified in Diagnostic Radiology by the American Board of Radiology and also is board-certified in Vascular and Interventional Radiology. His professional memberships include the Radiologic Society of North America and the Society of Interventional Radiology.
He is the author of numerous published articles, presentations and scientific exhibits.
LaGrange Memorial Hospital was chosen as a core site to participate in a study of 3,000 patients in the U.S. and Europe treated with UFE for uterine fibroids. Dr. Smith is a lead investigator in the study, the largest of its kind in the world. The study is sponsored by the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology Research and Education Foundation (CIRREF) and the Society of Interventional (SIR), in cooperation with the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI). Preliminary results will be published in early 2004, and will be posted on this site.
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Athanasios Vlahos, MD Dr. Vlahos completed his medical school training at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria, IL. He completed his Radiology residency training and his interventional radiology training at the University of Illinois OSF Saint Francis Medical center in Peoria IL. He is a member of the society of Interventional Radiology, the Radiologic Society of North America, and the American College of Radiology. |
Frank Facchini, MD
Dr. Facchini is a board-certified physician in Interventional Radiology. He has performed hundreds of embolization procedures and participated in research and development of many of the products used to perform UFE.
Dr. Facchini received his medical degree from Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine. He completed an internship in surgery at the University of Chicago. He completed residency training followed by a fellowship in interventional radiology at Northwestern University. He is certified by the American Board of Radiology, and holds a Certificate of Added Qualification in Interventional Radiology. In addition to UFE, his special areas of interest include non-surgical placement of Endovascular Grafts and Interventional Oncology. Dr. Facchini is a member of several professional societies, including the Radiologic Society of North America, the American Roentgen Ray Society, the Society of Interventional Radiology and the American Medical Association.
He maintains an academic appointment as an Assistant Professor of Radiology at Northwestern University and has authored and co-authored numerous articles, scientific exhibits and book chapters.
Michael Sichlau, MD
Dr. Michael Sichlau is a board-certified interventional radiologist, who has been in practice for 10 years. He has worked with thousands of patients with a wide variety of conditions that can be treated with Interventional Radiology. Dr. Sichlau has authored numerous publications and lectures, and he regularly trains other physicians in various Interventional Radiology techniques.
Dr. Sichlau received his MD degree from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in 1994, and went on to train in diagnostic radiology at the Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA. He then returned to Chicago to complete a fellowship in Vascular and Interventional Radiology at Northwestern University. He is board-certified in diagnostic radiology, and holds a Certificate of Added Qualification in Vascular and Interventional Radiology. He is also a Registered Vascular Technologist, certified by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers.
In addition to general Interventional Radiology, Dr. Sichlau has specific interest in Interventional Oncology, which applies Interventional Radiology techniques to treating many types of cancer. Dr. Sichlau also has extensive experience in treating varicose vein disorders and vertebral compression fractures. Professional society memberships include the Society of Interventional Radiology, American Society of Clinical Oncology, and American College of Phlebology.
Dr. Sichlau is an Assistant Professor at the Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine. Aside from numerous publications, lectures, and book chapters, Dr. Sichlau is a reviewer for the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.
Andrew Blum , MD
Dr. Blum is a graduate of University of North Carolina School of Medicine, and completed an internship in general surgery at New York University Medical Center. His postgraduate training also included a radiology residency at Long Island College Hospital and a vascular interventional fellowship at Emory University Medical Center.
His professional interests include the medical and endovascular management of peripheral arterial and aortic aneurysmal disease. He has participated in a number of groundbreaking clinical research trials in the field of endovascular intervention, and lectures widely on the subject.
Dr. Blum practices at Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, in Elmhurst, Illinois.
Vascular and Interventional Radiology, SRSC
(630) 856-7460
E-mail info@drfibroid.com
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