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Dan S. Heffez, MD, FRCS

Dr. Dan S. Heffez obtained his medical degree from McGill University in Montreal, Canada (1979). He completed his neurosurgical residency at the Johns Hopkins University and Hospital (1980-1986). During his residency, he completed a Fogarty Research Fellowship at the NIH in Bethesda, MD (1983-1984). From January to June 1985 he served as Chief Resident of Neurosurgery at the prestigious Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. From July 1985 to June 1986 he served as Chief Resident of Neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Following his residency, he remained on staff as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at the John Hopkins Hospital (1986-1990). During this time he did groundbreaking research relating to intra-uterine surgery for the correction of myelomeningocele, the most severe form of spina bifida. He also developed an experimental treatment for cerebral vasospasm, a complication which may cause stroke following the rupture of a brain aneurysm.

He left Johns Hopkins Hospital to assume the position of Director of Cerebrovascular Surgery at the Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch, a position he held from 1990-2003. From 1999 until April 2003, he also served as Chief of Cerebrovascular Surgery at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center where he held the rank of Associate Professor. During this time, he developed a microsurgical approach to lesions located deep within the brain, explored the use of 3D imaging of brain aneurysms and AVMs, and explored the use of endoscopy as a tool in cerebrovascular surgery. He also developed an interest and expertise in the treatment of Chiari I malformation and cervical myelopathy, which has become his principal research focus.

Currently, Dr. Heffez is an attending neurosurgeon at Saint Joseph Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. He maintains a specific interest in cervical myelopathy and Chiari type I malformations. His work has been recognized nationally and has been featured on ABC 20/20 and on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. He has made numerous presentations at medical meetings in the United States, Canada, and in Europe.

Certification and Licensure | Recent Grant Awards | Selected Awards | Selected Publications | Selected Presentations and Published Abstracts

Certification and Licensure

Diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners

Diplomate of the Medical Council of Canada

Certified Specialist (Neurosurgery) of The Professional Corporation of Physicians of Quebec, November 1989

Certified Specialist (Neurosurgery) Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, December 1986

Diplomate of The American Board of Neurological Surgeons, September 1989

Licensed Physician and Surgeon, State of Illinois

Recent Grant Awards

Cervicomedullary compression and cervical myelopathy and its relationship to the fibromyalgia syndrome. Prospective outcome study of the results of surgical treatment. $25,000 grant, National Fibromyalgia Research Association, 1999-2000.

Cervicomedullary compression and cervical myelopathy and its relationship to the fibromyalgia syndrome. Prospective outcome study of the results of surgical treatment. $4500 grant, National Fibromyalgia Research Association, 2000-2001.

Cervicomedullary compression and cervical myelopathy and its relationship to the fibromyalgia syndrome. Prospective outcome study of the results of surgical treatment. Grant from Depuy Acromed Corp., $20,000/yr for 2 years. 2002-2003.

Cervicomedullary compression and cervical myelopathy and its relationship to the fibromyalgia syndrome. Prospective outcome study of the results of surgical treatment. Grant from Shelhigh Inc., $3000. for 1 year, Feb. 2002-Feb. 2003.

Selected Awards

Upjohn Resident of the Year Award The Johns Hopkins Hospital,1984
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Clinician Scientist Award, 1989, 1990.
Achievement Award 2000 for "Cutting Edge Research and Treatment Application" awarded by Fibromyalgia Association Created for Education and Self-help (FACES)

Selected Publications

Heffez DS, Aryanpur J, Hutchins G, and Freeman JM: The paralysis associated with myelomeningocele:clinical and experimental data implicating a preventable spinal cord injury. Neurosurgery, 26:987-992, June 1990.

Heffez DS, Zinreich SJ and Long DM: Surgical resection of intrinsic brainstem lesions, Neurosurgery, 27:789-798, September 1990.

Heffez DS, Lasner T: Arteriovenous malformation of the brain in children, Neurosurgery Quarterly, 1:174-184, September 1991.

Heffez D.S., Hutchins A., Cuello, NA, Aryanpur J. and Freeman J.: Intrauterine repair of experimental surgically created dysraphism. Neurosurgery, 32:1005-1010, 1993.

Heffez, DS: Pathophysiology and current and experimental treatments of cerebral arterial spasm. CINN Report, 1(2):2-6, 1993.

Heffez, DS, Mikhael, M, Jensen, K.: Operative confirmation of three dimensional computed tomographic and magnetic resonance imaging of cerebrovascular pathology. Journal of Image Guided Surgery, 1:179-190, 1995.

Heffez, DS: Stereotactic trans-sylvian transinsular approach to deep-seated lesion. Surgical Neurology, 1997; 48:113-124.

Heffez, DS, Osterdock, RJ, Alderete, L, Grutsch, J: The impact of incomplete patient follow-up on the reported results of AVM radiosurgery. Surgical Neurology, 1998; 49:373-384.

Heffez, DS: Endoscope assisted cerebrovascular surgery. Perspectives in Neurological Surgery, 9(2):17-30, 1999.

Heffez, DS, Clemis, JD, Elias, DA, Mikhael MA: Can minimal cerebellar tonsillar ectopia be symptomatic. (Submitted to Surgical Neurology Jan 2003.)

Heffez DS, Ross RE, Shade-Zeldow Y et al: Clinical Evidence for Cervical Myelopathy in Patients with the Fibromyalgia Syndrome. (submitted to Spine June 2003).

Selected Presentations and Published Abstracts

Heffez DS: Surgically created dysraphism in the fetal rat. High Risk Obstetrics Conference, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, October 12, 1988.

Heffez DS, Aryanpur J, Freeman JM, Hutchins G: Surgically created dysraphism in the fetal rat: Implications for the cause of paralysis in spina bifida. Abstract presented at the meeting of the Pediatric Section, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Scottsdale, Arizona, December 1988.

Heffez DS, Aryanpur J, Freeman JM, Hutchins G: Surgically created dysraphism in the fetal rat: Implications for the cause of paralysis in spina bifida. Abstract accepted for presentation at the meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Washington D. C., April 1989.

Heffez DS: Spina Bifida: The promise of fetal surgery. Invited presentation. Johns Hopkins Hospital Centennial Science Writers Seminar, May 23, 1989.

Heffez D.S., Aryanpur J., Freeman J.M., and Hutchins G.: Intrauterine repair of experimental dysraphism: implications for the treatment of myelomeningocele. Abstract accepted for presentation to the Pediatric Section, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Washington D.C., Nov.28, 1989.

Heffez D.S., Aryanpur J., Freeman J.M., and Hutchins G.: Intrauterine repair of experimental dysraphism: implications for the treatment of myelomeningocele. Abstract accepted for presentation to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Nashville, TN., April 1990.

Heffez DS: Experimental dysraphism: implications for the treatment of myelomeningocele. Presentation to the Research Society of Neurological Surgeons, Boston, MA., June 14, 1990.

Heffez D.S., Hutchins G., Aryanpur J., Freeman J.: Intrauterine repair of experimental dysraphism II: Implications for the mechanism of spinal cord injury. Presentation to the meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgery, April 1991.

Lasner, T., Heffez D.S., Arteriovenous malformations in childhood: A review of 29 cases. Accepted for presentation meeting of the Pediatric Section of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, December 1990, and the meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, April 1991.

Heffez, D.S., Cuello, N., Hutchins G, Freeman J: Intrauterine repair of experimental dysraphism in the fetal pig. Presentation, Pediatric Section meeting, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, December 1991.

Heffez, D.S., Elias, D., Rosel, P., Mahony, G.: 3D CT Angiography in the Evaluation of Giant Intracranial Aneurysms. Abstract accepted for poster presentation, American Association of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting, Boston, Mass., 1993

Heffez, D.S., Elias, D., Rosel, P., Schnurr, E.: The use of 3-D angiography for the evaluation of cerebrovascular pathology. Presented at Lende Neurosurgical Meeting, Snowbird, Utah, Feb. 1993.

Heffez DS: The use of 3-D angiography for the evaluation of cerebrovascular pathology. Presented to the Neurosurgical Society of America, Boca Raton, Fla., March 1993.

Heffez, D.S.: Stereotactic trans-sylvian transinsular approach for deep-seated lesions. Poster presentation, America Association of Neurological Surgeons, San Diego, California, April 1994.

Heffez, D.S.: Stereotactic trans-sylvian transinsular approach for deep-seated lesions. Oral presentation, Neurosurgical Society of America, Semi-Ah-Moo, Washington, May 1994.

Heffez, D.S.: Stereotactic trans-sylvian transinsular approach for deep-seated lesions. Poster presentation, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Chicago, Illinois, October 1994.

Heffez, D.S.: Stereotactic trans-sylvian transinsular approach for deep-seated lesions. Slide presentation, Lende Winter Neurosurgery Meeting, Snowbird, Utah, February 4-11, 1995.

Heffez, D.S., Osterdock, R., Alderete, L., Grutsch, J.F., Helenowski, T.K., Cerullo, L.J.: Predicting patient compliance with follow-up after AVM radiosurgery. Oral presentation, Fourth International Workshop on Cerebrovascular Surgery, Chicago, Illinois, June 1995.

Heffez, D.S.: Stereotactic trans-sylvian transinsular approach for deep-seated lesions. Oral presentation, Joint International Congress on Minimally Invasive Techniques in Neurosurgery and Otolaryngology, Pittsburgh, Pa., June 1995.

Heffez, D.S., Osterdock, R.J., Alderete, L., Grutsch, J., Helenowski, T.K.: The impact of poor patient follow-up on the results of AVM radiosurgery. Oral presentation, Joint Section, Cerebrovascular Surgery, San Antonio, Texas, January 23-25, 1996.

Heffez, D.S., Osterdock, R.J., Alderete, L., Grutsch, J., Helenowski, T.K.: The published results of AVM radiosurgery are statistically biased. Oral presentation, American Association of Neurological Surgeons Meeting, Minneapolis, MN., April 29-May 2, 1996.

Heffez, DS, Clemis, JD, Elias, DA, Mikhael, MA, Cerullo, LJ: Trivial degrees of tonsillar ectopia may be symptomatic. Accepted for presentation at 75 Years of Neurosurgery in Canada, a Symposium of Advances in Neurosurgery and Related Neurosciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, October 1998.

Heffez, DS: Tonsillar ectopia: how much is too much? Presented at New Concepts of Chiari Malformation and Cervical Stenosis, Charlotte, N.C., January 23-24, 1999.

Heffez, DS: The clinical symptoms of minimal tonsillar ectopia. Presented at New Concepts of Chiari Malformation and Cervical Stenosis, Charlotte, N.C., January 23-24, 1999.

Heffez, DS: Neurological findings in patients with fibromyalgia. Presentation at "Subsets in Fibromyalgia" Symposium, September 25-27, 1999, Portland, Oregon.

Heffez, DS: Surgical outcome in fibromyalgia patients undergoing cervicomedullary decompression. Presentation at "Subsets in Fibromyalgia" Symposium, September 25-27, 1999, Portland, Oregon.

Heffez DS, Ross RE, Shade-Zeldow V et al: Is cervical myelopathy overlooked in patients with fibromyalgia? Poster presentation, meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Toronto, Canada, 2001.

Heffez DS: Cervicomedullary compression in patients with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Is myelopathy being overlooked? Oral presentation, FAME 2000, International Fibromyalgia Conference, Universal City, CA, May 20-21, 2000.

Heffez DS, Ross RE, Shade-Zeldow V et al: Is there an association between cervical myelopathy and fibromyalgia? Abstract accepted for oral presentation by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Oct. 2001.

Heffez DS, Ross RE, Shade-Zeldow V et al: Is there an association between cervical myelopathy and fibromyalgia? Accepted for poster presentation Myopain, Portland Oregon, September, 2001.

Heffez DS, Ross RE, Shade-Zeldow V et al: Is cervical myelopathy overlooked in patients with fibromyalgia? Accepted for poster presentation Myopain, Portland Oregon, September, 2001.

Heffez DS, Ross RE, Shade-Zeldow V et al: Is there an association between cervical myelopathy and fibromyalgia? Oral presentation 18th annual meeting, European Cervical Spine Research Society, Paris, France, June 13-14, 2002.

Heffez DS, Ross RE, Shade-Zeldow V et al:Clinical evidence for cervical myelopathy in patients with the fibromyalgia syndrome. Poster presentation 18th annual meeting, European Cervical Spine Research Society, Paris, France, June 13-14, 2002.

Heffez DS: Rationale for viewing fibromyalgia as a neurological disorder. Presented at Neurology and New Treatments in Fibromyalgia, Portland, Oregon Oct 4-6, 2002. Sponsored by the National Fibromyalgia Research Association.

Heffez DS: The treatment of cervical myelopathy in patients with fibromyalgia:clinical outcomes in a nonrandomized case control study. Presented at Neurology and New Treatments in Fibromyalgia, Portland, Oregon Oct 4-6, 2002. Sponsored by the National Fibromyalgia Research Association.

Heffez DS: Cervical Myelopathy- A Great Masquerader. Keynote presentation at the 12th Annual Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Resident Research Symposium, University of Illinois, Chicago, June 20, 2003.