Peter Warnke, MD

Internationally renowned neurosurgeon Peter Warnke, MD, has performed more than 6,000 stereotactic surgeries and more than 3,000 brain tumor surgeries. Dr. Warnke provides neurosurgical care for the treatment of:

• Movement disorders (including Parkinson's disease, dystonia, torticollis, and tics), with particular expertise in pediatric dystonia, choreoathetosis, and cerebral palsy
• Epilepsy
• Pediatric epilepsy
• Primary and secondary brain tumors, including chiasmal/hypothalamic gliomas and craniopharyngiomas
• Pediatric brain tumors

He routinely performs neurosurgical procedures with proven expertise, including:

• Brain tumor surgery
• Epilepsy surgery
• Pediatric epilepsy surgery
• Deep brain stimulation (DBS)
• Endoscopic neurosurgery
• Stereotactic radiosurgery
• Motor cortex stimulation
• Radiofrequency lesioning
• Laser ablation

Dr. Warnke is fellowship-trained in brain tumor surgery (neurooncology), movement and epilepsy surgery, and pediatric surgery. He has treated one of the largest series of low grade gliomas in adults and children (more than 1,000) and intrinsic other brain tumors.

Dr. Warnke directs the MRI-Guided Laser Ablation Program for epilepsy and tumors, and is actively researching biological treatments for brain tumors (Lancet Oncology 2013).

In addition, Dr. Warnke has a large deep brain stimulation practice for Parkinson’s, essential tremor and dystonia, and was the first neurosurgeon in Chicago to use directional deep brain stimulation.

Dr. Warnke has a large epilepsy surgery practice and performs open resections, laser ablations and neurostimulation for epilepsy. He directs the SLATE trial in epilepsy surgery, investigating laser ablation as a new minimally invasive alternative to open surgery.

He has special expertise in stereotactic radiosurgery, including interstitial radiosurgery and stereotactically guided endoscopy. Dr. Warnke was one of the first neurosurgeons to use interstitial stereotactic radiosurgery for the treatment of gelastic epilepsy and hypothalamic hamartomas. He also provides care for patients with pain syndromes, including trigeminal neuralgia and neuropathic pain.

He is also researching the development of biological and minimally invasive treatments for epilepsy, movement disorders and brain tumors. Dr. Warnke is the associate editor of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, which has the highest impact factor among neurosurgical journals. He also sits on the steering committees of several clinical trials, and has received ongoing extramural research funding for 20 years.