UChicago Faculty Physician
Ryan Merkow, MD, MS
Ryan Merkow, MD, MS
UChicago Faculty Physician
Associate Professor of Surgery
Director for Surgical Cancer Quality, University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center and Cancer Service Line
Associate Director of Health Services Research, Department of Surgery
Director, Hepatic Artery Infusion Pump Program
Specialties
- Gastrointestinal Surgery (GI Surgery)
- General Surgery
- Surgical Oncology
Locations
- Chicago - Hyde Park
- About
- Specialties & Areas of Expertise
- Locations & Patient Information
- Education & Research
- Accepted Insurance
- External Professional Relationships
Meet Dr. Merkow
In order to provide his patients with the best solution(s), Dr. Merkow offers both nonsurgical and surgical options. His treatments include regional cancer therapies, such as hepatic artery infusion (HAI) pump chemotherapy, a technique that supplies high doses of chemotherapy directly to the liver. This therapy is used to kill any remaining cancer cells after visible tumors have been surgically removed, as well as to convert someone from unresectable (all tumors cannot be removed) to resectable (all tumors are able to be cleared from the liver). He also provides other liver directed therapies, such as ablation, designed to selectively target liver tumors without injuring nearby healthy tissue.
In addition to regional therapies, Dr. Merkow performs minimally invasive and robotic surgery to treat cancer, offering accuracy and precision while removing life-threatening tumors. This allows his patients to recovery faster with less pain and scarring so they can get back to their daily lives sooner.
Along with his dedication to his clinical practice, Dr. Merkow is passionate about advancing treatment through clinical research and making surgery and cancer care delivery safer, more efficient and patient-centered. His research focuses primarily on surgical outcomes, quality improvement and patient safety, which has been published in over 150 peer-reviewed articles in highly respected, medical journals, like the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI), British Journal of Quality and Patient Safety, Annals of Surgery, Annals of Surgical Oncology and more. With his research expertise, Dr. Merkow will join the University of Chicago’s Health Services Research Center.
Dr. Merkow is active, and has held leadership roles, in several national healthcare organizations, including serving as chair of the Association for Academic Surgery Clinical and Health Services Research Committee. Additionally, with healthcare constantly evolving, he provides clinical training to medical students, residents and fellows, mentoring them as they embark on their medical careers.
Specialties
- Gastrointestinal Surgery (GI Surgery)
- General Surgery
- Surgical Oncology
Areas of Expertise
- Appendix Cancer
- Bile Duct Cancer
- Colorectal Cancer
- Gastrointestinal Cancers
- Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC)
- Liver Cancer
- Peritoneal Cancer
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Pancreatic Cystic Neoplasms
- Pancreatic Surgery
- Regional Cancer Therapy
- Robotic Surgery
- Stomach Cancer
- Whipple Procedure
UChicago Medicine Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine - Hyde Park5758 S. Maryland Ave., Chicago IL 606371-888-824-0200
Board Certifications
- Surgery
- Complex General Surgical Oncology
Languages Spoken
- English
Medical Education
- University of Colorado School of Medicine
Residency
- University of Colorado Hospitals; University of Chicago Hospitals
Fellowship
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Ctr.
Memberships & Medical Societies
- American College of Surgeons
- Association for Academic Surgery
- Society of Surgical Oncology
- Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract
- Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association
News & Research
Insurance
- Aetna Better Health *see insurance page
- Aetna HMO (specialists only)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO
- Aetna POS
- Aetna PPO
- BCBS Blue Precision HMO (specialists only)
- BCBS HMO (HMOI) (specialists only)
- BCBS Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO
- BCBS PPO
- Cigna HMO
- Cigna POS
- Cigna PPO
- CountyCare *see insurance page
- Humana Medicare Advantage Choice PPO
- Humana Medicare Advantage Gold Choice PFFS
- Humana Medicare Advantage Gold Plus HMO
- Medicare
- Multiplan PPO
- PHCS PPO
- United Choice Plus POS/PPO
- United Choice HMO (specialists only)
- United Options (PPO)
- United Select (HMO & EPO) (specialists only)
- United W500 Emergent Wrap
- 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 you have questions regarding your insurance benefits at UChicago Medicine, please contact our financial counseling team at OPSFinancialCounseling@uchospitals.edu.
UChicago Medicine is committed to fostering a corporate culture of ethical behavior and integrity in all matters related to compliance with the laws and regulations that govern the delivery of healthcare. This aspiration is central to supporting patient care, research, and teaching at UChicago Medicine.
Some of our physicians and health professionals collaborate with external pharmaceutical, medical device, or other medical related entities to develop new treatments and products to improve clinical outcomes for patients. In some instances, the physician has ownership interests in the external entity and/or is compensated for advising or speaking about the entity’s products or treatments. These payments may include compensation for consulting and speaking engagements, equity, and/or royalties for products invented by our physicians. To assure objectivity and integrity in patient care, UChicago Medicine requires all physicians and health professionals to report their relationships and financial interests with external entities on an annual basis. This information is used to review relationships and transactions that might give rise to potential financial conflicts of interest, and when considered to be significant a management plan to mitigate any biases is created.
If you are a patient at UChicago Medicine and would like more information about your physician’s external relationships, please talk with your physician. You may also visit the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments website at https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/ . CMS Open Payments is a national disclosure program that promotes a more transparent and accountable health care system. It houses a publicly accessible database of payments that reporting entities, including drug and medical device companies, make to covered recipients like physicians and hospitals.
Information in the CMS Open Payments database could potentially contain inaccurately reported and out of date payment information. All information is open to personal interpretation, if there are questions about the data, patients and their advocates should speak directly to their health care provider for a better understanding.
Some of our physicians and health professionals collaborate with external pharmaceutical, medical device, or other medical related entities to develop new treatments and products to improve clinical outcomes for patients. In some instances, the physician has ownership interests in the external entity and/or is compensated for advising or speaking about the entity’s products or treatments. These payments may include compensation for consulting and speaking engagements, equity, and/or royalties for products invented by our physicians. To assure objectivity and integrity in patient care, UChicago Medicine requires all physicians and health professionals to report their relationships and financial interests with external entities on an annual basis. This information is used to review relationships and transactions that might give rise to potential financial conflicts of interest, and when considered to be significant a management plan to mitigate any biases is created.
If you are a patient at UChicago Medicine and would like more information about your physician’s external relationships, please talk with your physician. You may also visit the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments website at https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/ . CMS Open Payments is a national disclosure program that promotes a more transparent and accountable health care system. It houses a publicly accessible database of payments that reporting entities, including drug and medical device companies, make to covered recipients like physicians and hospitals.
Information in the CMS Open Payments database could potentially contain inaccurately reported and out of date payment information. All information is open to personal interpretation, if there are questions about the data, patients and their advocates should speak directly to their health care provider for a better understanding.
Hepatic Artery Infusion (HAI) Pump Chemotherapy for Liver Metastases
Hepatic artery infusion pump chemotherapy, or HAI, is an advanced treatment for tumors that have spread to the liver due to metastatic colorectal cancer or metastatic bile duct cancer. HAI is a powerful tool to shrink liver tumors and reduces the risk of tumor recurrence.
Hepatic Artery Infusion Pump Chemotherapy, or HAI, is an advanced treatment for tumors that have spread to the liver due to metastatic colorectal cancer or metastatic bile duct cancer. HAI is a powerful tool to shrink liver tumors and reduces the risk of tumor recurrence.
The hepatic artery infusion pump is a wireless metal pump that is placed inside the abdominal wall during a surgical procedure. The device is about the size of a hockey puck. The pump is connected to the liver via a small tube placed into a blood vessel connected to the hepatic artery.
The HAI device pumps high doses of chemotherapy directly into the liver-- as much as 300 to 400 times higher than intravenous chemotherapy. The high doses of medication remain in the liver as opposed to circulating through the body as in traditional therapy.
Over time, tumors shrink or disappear. For patients who are not yet candidates for surgery to remove tumors, HAI can shrink tumors so they can be removed with surgery. For patients who have had liver tumors removed, HAI can reduce the risk of tumor recurrence.
The UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center is one of a select number of hospitals in the nation that offers this advanced treatment. We're also leaders in hepatic artery infusion research, and are actively conducting clinical trials, with the goal of making HAI available to more patients who may benefit.
Learn more about hepatic artery infusion and request an appointment at UChicagoMedicine.org/hai.
The hepatic artery infusion pump is a wireless metal pump that is placed inside the abdominal wall during a surgical procedure. The device is about the size of a hockey puck. The pump is connected to the liver via a small tube placed into a blood vessel connected to the hepatic artery.
The HAI device pumps high doses of chemotherapy directly into the liver-- as much as 300 to 400 times higher than intravenous chemotherapy. The high doses of medication remain in the liver as opposed to circulating through the body as in traditional therapy.
Over time, tumors shrink or disappear. For patients who are not yet candidates for surgery to remove tumors, HAI can shrink tumors so they can be removed with surgery. For patients who have had liver tumors removed, HAI can reduce the risk of tumor recurrence.
The UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center is one of a select number of hospitals in the nation that offers this advanced treatment. We're also leaders in hepatic artery infusion research, and are actively conducting clinical trials, with the goal of making HAI available to more patients who may benefit.
Learn more about hepatic artery infusion and request an appointment at UChicagoMedicine.org/hai.