Do people with early heart disease have symptoms?
September 21, 2026
Signs of heart disease aren’t always obvious. Some people notice chest discomfort, shortness of breath or unusual fatigue, while others don’t notice any changes at all.
Brain surgery
Experienced neurosurgeons at Ascension Illinois deliver advanced brain surgery. Schedule a consultation.
Brain surgery in Chicagoland
Experienced neurosurgeons at Ascension Illinois deliver advanced brain surgery. Schedule a consultation.
Why choose Ascension Illinois for brain surgery
When you or a loved one is diagnosed with a brain condition, you want the best care. And when you choose Ascension Illinois, you get a multidisciplinary team led by experienced neurosurgeons. Here, we prioritize early intervention and personalized treatment. Your neurosurgeon works with a team of specialists and is part of a national team of doctors, sharing best practices, knowledge and research. Your care will start with a conversation, and together we’ll create a care plan that’s right for you.
Non-invasive brain surgery
Experienced neurosurgeons at Ascension Illinois use Gamma Knife® to perform incisionless radiosurgery. Gamma Knife is not actually a knife — it uses a single high dose of precisely focused radiation to target tumors, while avoiding the surrounding healthy tissue.
Gamma Knife surgery
Gamma Knife surgery may be an option for patients with cancerous and non-cancerous conditions:
- Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs)
- Brain lesions
- Brain tumors (cancerous and non-cancerous)
- Chordoma (tumor on the base of the skull and spine)
- Movement disorders, such as Parkinson's disease
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Vestibular schwannoma
This treatment is non-invasive, painless, and typically done in a single outpatient visit, with patients returning to their everyday activities in two to three days.
Gamma Knife
A leader in brain tumor care
Your care team may include neurologists, neurosurgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and neurosurgery-trained nurses. This team works together with you and for you. Every appointment starts by listening to you. Your doctor takes the time to answer your questions. If you have a brain tumor, you may need radiation therapy, surgery, or both. All the dots for your care will be connected, and your care plan may include:
Specialists at Ascension Illinois use advanced imaging to diagnose and monitor brain tumors. 3D brain imaging is also used to monitor your progress during radiation therapy to see the size of your tumor.
Radiation therapy uses high-powered X-rays to target and destroy brain tumor cells. This treatment may be given before surgery to help reduce the size of tumors.
After surgery, you are connected to rehabilitation specialists at Ascension Illinois, where we deliver a wide range of therapy to help you recover after surgery.
Whenever possible, we use minimally invasive procedures to remove brain tumors. With minimally invasive procedures, few or no incisions are used. This may lead to less pain and a shorter recovery time. Our neurosurgeons also offer GammaTile® implants, which are surgically targeted radiation therapy implants for brain tumors.
Get a second opinion
If you have questions about your diagnosis or treatment plan, a second opinion can help you better understand your options. Our specialists can review your medical records and history to provide an additional perspective. Before your appointment, check with your insurance provider to find out if a second opinion is covered. We can request your medical records from your doctor on your behalf so they can be shared before your visit.
Providers: Refer a patient
Referring your patients is simple and hassle-free. Send your patient’s medical records, and we'll take it from there — keeping you in the loop throughout the process while ensuring your patient gets the advanced care they need.
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