Vascular Surgery & Endovascular Therapy

Christopher L. Skelly, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
Chief, Section of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy
Director, Vascular Surgery Fellowship Program
Director, Vascular Lab
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Luka Pocivavsek, MD, PhD, is an expert vascular surgeon and a devoted researcher who improves vascular care by investigating innovative treatments and techniques for better outcomes and quality of life for his patients. His research focuses on improving treatment for patients with aortic dissections.

Integrity of Intent:
Dr. Luka Pocivavsek’s Passion for Intricate Problem-Solving Leads Him to Create Personalized Treatment Plans for Patients with Aortic Dissections

Staying the course

Dr. Pocivavsek had a charmed graduate school experience, which was due in large part to the dynamic leadership of chemist Ka Yee C. Lee, PhD, David Lee Shillinglaw Distinguished Service Professor and Provost of the University of Chicago. The infusion of camaraderie and robust collaboration into an academic setting allows for a safe space to innovate, discover and solve complex problems.

Dr. Pocivavsek’s ingress into the world of clinical medicine was not simple. From being a local science expert to crossing a new threshold into a clinical setting was overawing. “I thought to myself, maybe you’re just barking up the wrong tree, as it concerns clinical medicine,” he said. “I figured that maybe it was just something that wasn’t right for me.”

Dr. Pocivavsek had even decided not to do a residency. Although he was drawn to medicine, he hadn’t yet obtained the same footing as he had as a scientist. This disconnect was unnerving, and, after careful contemplation, he gathered that a career as a scientist was adequately fulfilling. However, a shift occurred during his last clerkship rotation when he met Professor of Surgery Nora Jaskowiak, MD. “I think she runs one of the best surgical clerkships in the country,” said Dr. Pocivavsek.

“She makes it a point that students have a good experience, and she wants them to get the most out of their training,” he said. The University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine provided Dr. Pocivavsek with a transformative educational experience. Had he gone to any other medical school, he might not have become the renowned surgeon-scientist he is today.

He also attributes the success of his multidimensional pursuit to another mentor in the Department of Surgery, Professor of Surgery Roger D. Hurst, MD.

“The person almost single-handedly responsible for me continuing in clinical medicine and doing surgery is Dr. Hurst,” said Dr. Pocivavsek.

“I’m a powerful believer that throughout life, you encounter individuals who are very significant. You’ll come across people who really influence you. And then, in retrospect, when you look at it 10 years back or 20 years back, you’re like, wow, had I not met this person, at that particular time, my life would have been very different. It doesn’t mean it would have been better or worse, it just would’ve been very different, and meeting Dr. Hurst is definitely one of those pivotal moments for me.”

Connecting the dots

What was key then to Dr. Pocivavsek, and equally essential now, was the ability to interdigitate science with medicine; it was imperative to him that he found synergy between the two forces.

“If I couldn’t find the connection, I thought to myself, there’s really no point in me doing this,” he said. Yet, when he scrubbed in with Dr. Hurst, Dr. Pocivavsek’s intellectual curiosity swelled as he connected the dots and realized that Dr. Hurst applied to surgery the same type of geometric analysis and intense problem-solving as he had done in his research with Dr. Lee.

This seeded a profound realization—that he could use the same skill set he applied to science in a clinical setting. This aha moment was largely impactful for Dr. Pocivavsek, and it cemented his path into surgery.

His journey to becoming a surgeon-scientist required patience, perseverance and passion.

“In order to stay on track, you have to keep your love for solving problems inside of you; it has to be what drives you,” said Dr. Pocivavsek.

“There are a lot of hard moments in clinical medicine that involve emotional stress, and there are challenging moments in science in the sense that you get told no, papers get rejected, grants get rejected; the feeling of failure seeps in. Through it all, you must keep your love for solving problems.”

The motivation to keep going must be pure, and not contingent on successes. Dr. Pocivavsek is motivated by his strong desire to solve complex problems—configuring elaborate puzzles that connect his scientific and his clinical practice. This is how he continues to educate himself and offer better solutions to his patients. Thus, the integrity of Dr. Pocivavsek’s intentions will enable his work to keep soaring.

Dr. Pociavavsek is holding a thoracic endograft. To minimize geometric incompatibility at the seal zone, Dr. Pocivavsek modified the proximal end, thus matching the native geometry of the aorta with that of the endograft. The role of aortic geometry on long-term stability of endovascular aortic surgical repairs is an active area of research in the Pocivavsek Lab.

Within the nucleus of the University of Chicago’s academic biome is a collective appetite for intricate problem-solving that requires a plethora of multidisciplinary methods and applications. There, too, exists an inquisitive spirit—one that asks the fundamental questions that lead to polygonal investigations and deep dives into multifactorial studies. To that end, Dr. Pocivavsek immerses himself in scientific enigmas in an effort to uncover better treatment options for patients with aortic dissections.

Learn more about Dr. Pocivavsek’s research interests by reading How Understanding Patient Anatomy Can Lead to More Personalized Treatments for Aortic Dissections that he recently wrote for UChicago Medicine.

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Julian T. Owens
Department of Surgery Core Operations Manager
The University of Chicago Medicine

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faculty listing

Professor of Surgery
Ross Milner, MD, Professor of Surgery; Co-Director, Center for Aortic Diseases; Vice Chair, Clinical Affairs and Perioperative Services; Master Clinician, Bucksbaum Institute for Clinical Excellence; Huggins Society Advisor, Pritzker School of Medicine
Christopher L. Skelly, MD, Professor of Surgery; Chief, Vascular Surgery & Endovascular Therapy Program; Medical Director, Noninvasive Vascular Imaging Laboratories

Associate Professor of Surgery
Trissa A. Babrowski, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery; Director, Limb Salvage Program
Chelsea Dorsey, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery; Director, Vein Clinic; Director, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Director, Preclinical Advising, Pritzker School of Medicine

Assistant Professor of Surgery
Luka Pocivavsek, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Surgery

Research Associate of Surgery
Paul Lantz, DPM, Clinical Associate of Surgery

faculty honors

Trissa A. Babrowski, MD, was selected to be on the Editorial Board for JVS.

Chelsea Dorsey, MD, was appointed Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for the Department of Surgery, and promoted to Vice-Chair of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She was selected to receive the BSD Distinguished Leader in Diversity and Inclusion Award (junior faculty category). This award recognizes members of our faculty who have made significant contributions toward fostering a more diverse and inclusive community. Dr. Dorsey was nominated by her faculty peers and selected by the Faculty Advisory Committee and the Dean to be honored with this award for leading our department’s effort in diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as preclinical student advising. She was selected to serve on the Bowman Society Executive Committee. The seven committee members meet regularly to ensure that the Bowman Society is delivering on its promise to elevate and promote faculty, trainees and students who are underrepresented in medicine, and to educate our healthcare communities on issues related to health inequities and opportunities for advocacy.

Ross Milner, MD, was named Editor-in-Chief of Vascular and appointed as an Editorial Board Member for Annals of Vascular Surgery. He is the only U.S. physician appointed as Assistant Editor for the European Journal of Vascular & Endovascular Surgery. He received the Chicago Magazine Top Doctors 2021 award. He was elected Secretary and Chair of the Program Committee of the Executive Council for the Midwestern Vascular Surgical Society.

Christopher L. Skelly, MD, was named a Top Doc in Chicago Magazine by Castle Connolly.

Faculty Promotions

Trissa A. Babrowski, MD, Assistant Professor to Associate Professor, effective December 1, 2020

Chelsea Dorsey, MD, Assistant Professor to Associate Professor, July 1, 2021

Christopher L. Skelly, MD, Associate Professor to Professor, effective April 1, 2021

select publications

Trissa A. Babrowski, MD

Abbott E, Dhara S, Khabaz K, Sankary S, Cao K, Nguyen N, Babrowski T, Pocivavsek L, Milner R. Computational analysis of endovascular aortic repair proximal seal zone preservation with endoanchors: A case study in cylindrical neck anatomy. JVS Vasc Sci. 2021; 2:170-178. PMID: 34617067.

Reyes Valdivia A, Chaudhuri A, Milner R, Pratesi G, Reijnen MM, Tinelli G, Schuurmann R, Barbante M, Babrowski TA, Pitoulias G, Tshomba Y, Gandarias C, Badawy A, de Vries JP. Endovascular aortic repair with EndoAnchors demonstrate good mid-term outcomes in physician-initiated multicenter analysis-The PERU registry. Vascular. 2021 Feb 10; 1708538121992596. PMID: 33568007.

Clark EC, Babrowski TA, Milner R. Outcomes of chimney and fenestrated endografting using Viabahn VBX and atrium iCAST stents. J Cardiovasc Surg (Torino). 2021 Apr; 62(2):136-145. PMID: 33302612.

Maximus S, Long K, Babrowski T, Park J, Milner R. Right-sided Upper Extremity Access for Patients Undergoing Parallel Graft Placement during Endovascular Aortic Repair is Not Associated with Increased Neurologic Events When Compared with Left Upper Extremity Access. Ann Vasc Surg. 2021 May; 73:37-42. PMID: 33249130.

Gaines S, Babrowski TA, Skelly C, Milner R. Unique endovascular repair of an aortic pseudoaneurysm after staged approach for an aortoduodenal fistula. J Vasc Surg Cases Innov Tech. 2020 Dec; 6(4):612-613. PMID: 33163743.

Dhara SS, Hermsen M, Khabaz K, Abbott E, Babrowski TA, Milner R, Lee CJ, Pocivavsek L. Gaussian Surface Curvature Mapping Indicating High Risk Type B Thoracic Aortic Dissections. Ann Vasc Surg. 2021 Jan; 70:171-180. PMID: 32866573.

Nishida H, Song T, Jeevanandam V, Babrowski TA, Milner R. Successful endovascular repair of aortic rupture caused by axillary intra-aortic balloon insertion for a Jehovah’s Witness patient with situs inversus anomaly. J Card Surg. 2020 Sep; 35(9):2410-2413. PMID: 32652620.

Varsanik MA, Pocivavsek L, Babrowski T, Milner R. Diagnostic Colour Duplex Ultrasound for Type IIIb Endoleak. EJVES Vasc Forum. 2020; 47:43-46. PMID: 33078153.

Chelsea Dorsey, MD

Campbell PA, Dorsey C, Jeevanandam V, Milner R. Alternate Approach to Concomitant Carotid and Coronary Disease: Perioperative IABP Use during Carotid Endarterectomy. Ann Vasc Surg. 2021 Apr; 72:663.e9-663.e13. PMID: 33285271.

Cifu AS, Dorsey C, Humphrey HJ. Alpha Omega Alpha in the 21st Century: One School’s Approach. Acad Med. 2020 12; 95(12S Addressing Harmful Bias and Eliminating Discrimination in Health Professions Learning Environments):S136-S138. PMID: 33229957.

Cifu AS, Dorsey C, Humphrey HJ. Alpha Omega Alpha in the 21st Century-One School’s Approach. Acad Med. 2020 Sep 01. PMID: 32889931.

Ross Milner, MD

Barry IP, Barns M, Verhoeven E, Wong J, Dubenec S, Heyligers JM, Milner R, Shutze WP, Bachoo P, Vlaskovky P, Mwipatayi BP. Excluder Stent Graft-Related Outcomes in Patients with Aortic Neck Anatomy Outside of Instructions For Use (IFU) within the Global Registry for Endovascular Aortic Treatment (GREAT): Mid-term Follow-Up Results. Ann Vasc Surg. 2021 Jun 25. PMID: 34182115.

ChAbbott E, Dhara S, Khabaz K, Sankary S, Cao K, Nguyen N, Babrowski T, Pocivavsek L, Milner R. Computational analysis of endovascular aortic repair proximal seal zone preservation with endoanchors: A case study in cylindrical neck anatomy. JVS Vasc Sci. 2021; 2:170-178. PMID: 34617067.

Centofanti G, Nishinari K, De Fina B, Cavalcante RN, Krutman M, Milner R. Isolated iliac artery aneurysm in association with congenital pelvic kidney treated with iliac branch device: case report. J Cardiothorac Surg. 2021 Mar 17; 16(1):26. PMID: 33731177.

Rokosh RS, Rockman CB, Patel VI, Milner R, Osborne NH, Cayne NS, Jacobowitz GR, Garg K. Thoracic endovascular aortic repair for symptomatic penetrating aortic ulcers and intramural hematomas is associated with poor outcomes. J Vasc Surg. 2021 07; 74(1):63-70.e1. PMID: 33340703.

Clark EC, Babrowski TA, Milner R. Outcomes of chimney and fenestrated endografting using Viabahn VBX and atrium iCAST stents. J Cardiovasc Surg (Torino). 2021 Apr; 62(2):136-145. PMID: 33302612.

Jiang D, Milner R. Hybridising the Armamentarium: Exploring New Approaches to Arteriovenous Graft Repair. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg. 2020 12; 60(6):904. PMID: 32948436.

Zarifa R, Milner R. The Continued Discussion on Mechanical Intervention in the Battle Against Deep Venous Thrombosis. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg. 2020 10; 60(4):586. PMID: 32826176.

Subramanian T, Milner R. SCI and VP Shunt: Do These Letters Work Together? EJVES Vasc Forum. 2020; 48:35. PMID: 33103135.

Bryan DS, Benjamin AJ, Schneider AB, Milner R, Matthews JB, Roggin KK. Nimble, Together: A Training Program’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Ann Surg. 2020 08; 272(2):e142-e143. PMID: 32675518.

Bryan AF, Milner R, Roggin KK, Angelos P, Matthews JB. Unknown Unknowns: Surgical Consent During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Ann Surg. 2020 08; 272(2):e161-e162. PMID: 32675526.

Prachand V, Tseng J, Milner R, Posner M, Matthews J. Web-Based Medically Necessary, Time-Sensitive (MeNTS) Procedure Scoring Worksheet: In Reply to Ing and Ing. J Am Coll Surg. 2020 09; 231(3):407. PMID: 32660734.

Luka Pocivavsek, MD, PhD

Pocivavsek L, Bishop E, Khabaz K, Ota T, Skelly C, Hampton D. Simultaneous injury to the inferior vena cava and the intrathoracic aorta. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2020 12; 89(6):e170-e172. PMID: 32868540.

Nath NN, Pocivavsek L, Pugar JA, Gao Y, Salem K, Pitre N, McEnaney R, Velankar S, Tzeng E. Dynamic Luminal Topography: A Potential Strategy to Prevent Vascular Graft Thrombosis. Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2020; 8:573400. PMID: 32984298.

Nguyen N, Nath N, Deseri L, Tzeng E, Velankar SS, Pocivavsek L. Wrinkling instabilities for biologically relevant fiber-reinforced composite materials with a case study of Neo-Hookean/Ogden-Gasser-Holzapfel bilayer. Biomech Model Mechanobiol. 2020 Dec; 19(6):2375-2395. PMID: 32535739.

Varsanik MA, Pocivavsek L, Babrowski T, Milner R. Diagnostic Colour Duplex Ultrasound for Type IIIb Endoleak. EJVES Vasc Forum. 2020; 47:43-46. PMID: 33078153.

Dua A, Kibrik P, Pocivavsek L, Morcos O, Lind B, Sumpio B, Latz C, Lee CJ. Trends and Determinants of Readmissions to Another Facility After Endovascular Aortic Repair. Ann Vasc Surg. 2020 Jul; 66:434-441. PMID: 31923593.

Pocivavsek L, Milner R. Dynamic seal at the aortic neck-endograft interface studied using a novel method of cohesive zone modeling. J Vasc Surg. 2020 08; 72(2):703-713.e3. PMID: 31727454.

Christopher L. Skelly, MD

Schwarz JL, Zarifa R, Gottlieb LJ, Sullivan CM, Mak GZ, Skelly CL. Microsurgical vascular bypass in the setting of pediatric limb length discrepancy. J Vasc Surg Cases Innov Tech. 2020 Dec; 6(4):641-645. PMID: 33163751.

Maximus S, Skelly C, Milner R. Velocities of type II endoleaks on Doppler ultrasonography predict outcome. J Vasc Surg. 2020 05; 71(5):1719-1725. PMID: 31619352.

residents & fellows

View the Vascular Surgery Residents and Fellows here.