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MEDICAID NOTICE: Lurie Children’s continues to serve all patients enrolled in Medicaid. As a safety-net hospital, we will continue providing high-quality care to every child who needs us.

AVISO SOBRE MEDICAID: Lurie Children’s continúa atendiendo a todos los pacientes inscritos en Medicaid. Como hospital perteneciente a la red de protección social, continuaremos brindando atención de alta calidad a cada niño que nos necesite.

Pediatric Neurointerventional Radiology

New Appointments 312.227.5110 Existing Patients Log into MyChart Questions? IR@luriechildrens.org

What is Neurointerventional Radiology?

Neurointerventional Radiology (NIR), also known as Neurointerventional Surgery, is a type of specialized medical procedure. A sub-specialty of Interventional Radiology, it focuses on using small incisions and imaging technology to diagnose and treat problems in the brain and spine. One example of a diagnostic test is angiography, which helps doctors see if there are any abnormal blood vessels in the brain, spine, head, or neck that need treatment. Treatments for these issues may include embolization and sclerotherapy.

During embolization, doctors inject a material into the abnormal blood vessels to block blood flow and make them smaller. Sclerotherapy involves injecting medicine directly into the abnormal blood vessels to make them scar and shrink. In both treatments, doctors use imaging technology like ultrasound and X-rays to guide them and make sure the treatment is done accurately.

Why Choose Lurie Children's for Neurointerventional Radiology?

At Lurie Children’s, our sub-specialty trained pediatric neurointerventional radiologists specialize in treating infants and children of all ages. Our neurointerventional team uses image guidance to perform minimally invasive procedures using needles or catheters (thin, flexible tubes) that are inserted through tiny incisions. This approach typically results in less pain and allows for quicker recovery times for patients. 

Our team has performed a total of more than 2,000 minimally-invasive, image-guided procedures since the beginning of our program in 2005 and performs more than 150 procedures annually.

The Neurointerventional Radiology Program is led by Ali Shaibani, MD, a nationally renowned neurointerventional radiologist who has pioneered treatment of cerebrovascular diseases in children affecting the head, neck and spine using cutting-edge neurointerventional techniques. 


Conditions We Treat

Our team provides treatment for a wide-range of conditions affecting the brain, spine, head and neck, including: 

What to Expect

Patients are usually referred to NIR by specialists like Neurosurgery, Neurology, Dermatology, Otolaryngology, Orthopedic Surgery, or your child's pediatrician. Once referred, you'll have either an in-person or telemedicine clinic visit with a NIR provider. We'll go over your child's history and past imaging, and make a plan for further tests or treatments if needed. If your child needs a procedure, we'll talk about it with you, including the risks and benefits, and set expectations for the day of the procedure, how long they'll stay afterward, and any follow-up care.

Most NIR procedures need general anesthesia. So, during your first visit, we'll do a thorough checkup and address any concerns before the procedure. We'll answer any questions you have. On the procedure day, we'll review everything again, answer more questions, and get your consent. If anesthesia is needed, you and your child will come 90 minutes early. Then, anesthesia providers will check your child's condition, and nurses will prepare them. We'll confirm arrival times and diet restrictions the day before, usually after 2 p.m.

After the procedure, your child will go to the recovery area. How long they stay depends on the procedure. Sometimes, they may need to stay for observation. We'll also arrange for any follow-up appointments needed.

Our Neurointerventional Radiologists

Lurie Children’s Neurointerventional Radiology team is made up of doctors, advanced practice providers, nurses and technologists, all sub-specialized in pediatric neurointerventional radiology.

Ali Shaibani, MD, MBA

Chief of Neurointerventional Radiology in the Department of Radiology and Professor of Radiology, Neurological Surgery and Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Attending Physician

Sameer Ansari, MD, PhD

Professor of Radiology, Neurological Surgery and Neurology - Ken and Ruth Davee Department, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Attending Physician

Donald R. Cantrell, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor of Radiology (Neurointerventional Radiology) and Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Attending Physician

Ramez N. Abdalla, MD

Assistant Professor of Radiology (Neurointerventional Radiology), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Make an Appointment

Call to make an appointment with our Neurointerventional Radiology team. 

312.227.5110

Your Visit

Learn about our Culture of Care for information about your upcoming visit and the services we offer, including:

Our Research

Our team is dedicated to identifying better diagnostic methods and therapies to continue to provide the best medical treatments for our patients. View our recent research publications below. 

Pediatric Research Publications 

Adult Research Publications

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