Eric Thompson

UChicago Faculty Physicians

Eric Thompson, MD

Professor of Neurological Surgery
Professor of Pediatrics Director, Pediatric Neurosurgery

25 Insurance Plans Accepted

Meet Dr. Thompson

I'm Eric Thompson. I'm the director of Pediatric Neurosurgery here at Comer Children's Hospital. And essentially, I take care of children, aged 17 to birth, that have any sort of neurosurgical problems whether that be a brain tumor, spine tumor, epilepsy, craniosynostosis, hydrocephalus trauma and all sorts of congenital issues as well.

I chose to become a physician, because I really loved the biological sciences, and I really find it gratifying and satisfying to help people, essentially. And so being a physician, I get to do both of my passions, which is help people and study anatomy, study physiology, study neuroscience, study brain tumors, all of those things.

University of Chicago and Comer Children's Hospital is special because we have the full gamut of specialists here that offer just the top notch care for children and really their families in essentially all pediatric specialties. My philosophy is essentially to treat patients as they were-- as if they were my own children.

Oftentimes parents will even ask me, what would you do if this was your child? And I always give them a very honest answer, and I want my patients to have the best outcomes, to have the best quality of life, to have the best chance of survival depending on what their particular ailment is. And so it's to really form connections with patients and their family, and again, to give them the best quality of care that I can.

Board-certified, pediatric neurosurgeon, Eric Thompson, MD, is an expert in caring for children with complex neurological conditions. Dr. Thompson specializes in traditional and advanced neurosurgery techniques, such as minimally invasive procedures, stereotactic neurosurgery and laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT), so that he can deliver the best treatment option for each child. His expertise includes diagnosing and treating brain and spinal disorders like:

Because every neurological condition is unique and every child will have their own personal neurological experience, Dr. Thompson believes that each patient should have healthcare that is tailored exclusively to them. He will work with his patients and their parents individually to develop a treatment plan that is designed to meet their specific needs and goals.

Along with advancing pediatric neurosurgery care through his clinical practice, Dr. Thompson also uses clinical and basic science research to improve treatments for children with brain and spinal conditions. His work has been published in highly respected, peer-reviewed journals like Nature, Nature Communications, Neuro-Oncology, The Lancet Oncology, The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, Neurosurgery and Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics.


Specialties

Areas of Expertise

Board Certifications

  • Neurological Surgery

Memberships & Medical Societies

  • American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons

Practicing Since

  • 2006

Languages Spoken

  • English

Medical Education

  • University of Nebraska College of Medicine

Internship

  • Oregon Health & Science University Hospital

Residency

  • Oregon Health & Science University Hospital

Fellowship

  • Hospital For Sick Children

  • Aetna HMO (specialists only)
  • Aetna POS
  • Aetna PPO
  • BCBS Blue Precision HMO (specialists only)
  • BCBS HMO (HMOI) (specialists only)
  • BCBS PPO
  • Cigna HMO
  • Cigna POS
  • Cigna PPO
  • CountyCare *see insurance page
  • Aetna Better Health *see insurance page
  • Medicare
  • Multiplan PPO
  • PHCS PPO
  • United Choice Plus POS/PPO
  • United Options (PPO)
  • United Select (HMO & EPO) (specialists only)
  • United W500 Emergent Wrap
  • Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO
  • BCBS Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO
  • Humana Medicare Advantage Choice PPO
  • Humana Medicare Advantage Gold Choice PFFS
  • Humana Medicare Advantage Gold Plus HMO
  • United Choice HMO (specialists only)
  • University of Chicago Health Plan (UCHP)

Our list of accepted insurance providers is subject to change at any time. You should contact your insurance company to confirm UChicago Medicine participates in their network before scheduling your appointment. If your insurance company is not listed here, or if you have any other questions, please contact Managed.Care@uchospitals.edu.

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A Q&A with pediatric neurosurgeon Eric Thompson, MD

What drives someone to devote their career to helping kids survive brain cancer? Professor of Neurological Surgery Eric Thompson, MD, shares his clinical and research expertise.

Read more about Dr. Thompson

Image of pediatric neurosurgeon looking at a brain scan