There are a few outstanding ortho oncologists in Chicago. Both Rush and University of Chicago have great people on staff. I'm bias b/c I'm a student at Rush, but I have only heard great things about Dr. Steve Gitelis. Otherwise, Dr. Mike Simon (I think thats his first name) out of UofC is supposed to be good too.

thank you

I went to school in Chicago (neither Rush nor U of C) and agree with going to either U of C or Rush. Simon at U of C is one of the biggest names in tumor surgery around so I'd definitely check him out.

so my friend doesn't have insurance, and apparently the cost of dr. simon's office consultation is $400. Which is probably fair considering his stature. But if she went to Cook County, is there a tumor attending? Are there staff clinics where she could be seen at either U of C or Rush? Thanks for the advice.

There is a tumor attending at Cook County as far as I know. His name is Walter Virkus--he is a tumor and trauma guy. He is on staff at Rush, and is actually Dr. Gitelis' partner. But he does see patients at County, and takes care of public aid patients, so he does work with those without insurance. I'm not sure if he operates out of County, he might only operate at Rush. I've heard good things about him, and Gitelis and he operate a lot together on the more difficult cases. Hope this helps.

Virkus does operate at county, but I'm not sure how fast your friend can get a spot for a non-emergent case. If there is a concern that there could be something more sinister than a normal cyst, you might stand a better chance of getting it done sooner. PM me if you need more help. I'm only an intern now, but I can try to find out how to get her in faster.

-Grizzle-