Eugene Lipov, MD

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Board-certified anesthesiologist and pain medicine physician with more than three decades of interventional pain medicine practice, including stellate ganglion block/cervical sympathetic blockade, spinal cord stimulation, radiofrequency ablation, and the diagnosis and treatment of complex regional pain syndrome and post-laminectomy syndrome. Currently practices as Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Stella Trauma Centers and as a Pain Physician at Illinois Orthopedic Network, and holds a faculty appointment as Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Author of more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and manuscript reviewer for 11 medical journals, including Anesthesiology and JAMA Psychiatry.

Areas of Expert Review and Testimony

  • Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS): diagnosis, Budapest Criteria analysis, causation and disputed-diagnosis defense
  • Interventional pain medicine standard of care: epidural and facet injections, radiofrequency ablation, adhesiolysis
  • Spinal cord and peripheral nerve stimulation, device selection and complications
  • Stellate ganglion block / cervical sympathetic blockade, including PTSD and post-traumatic pain applications
  • Post-laminectomy (failed back surgery) syndrome
  • Anesthesiology standard of care and procedural complications
  • Chronic pain causation, apportionment, future medical care and life-care plan critique
  • Opioid management and medication necessity review

Author and Educator

Dr. Lipov is the author of Pain Medicine for Attorneys, written for plaintiff and defense counsel handling chronic pain, CRPS and interventional pain claims, and of more than 50 peer-reviewed publications. He serves as a manuscript reviewer for 11 medical journals, including Anesthesiology and JAMA Psychiatry.

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35+ Years of Pain Medicine Expertise for Legal Cases

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She Sought Psychiatric Help. 19 Days Later, Her Children Were Dead (FOX 5 NYC)

Dr. Eugene Lipov video

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Curriculum Vitae

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer    2020 – Present

Stella Trauma Centers | Westmont, IL

  • Provides SGB for PTSD and ketamine infusions for selected medical conditions.
  • Oversees clinical standards and medical program development.

Pain Physician    2019 – Present

Illinois Orthopedic Network | Chicago, IL

  • Performs interventional pain procedures, including dorsal column/spinal cord stimulation and radiofrequency ablation.
  • Diagnoses and treats CRPS and post-laminectomy syndrome, including adhesiolysis/Racz procedures and related interventions.

Senior Medical Advisor / Science Advisor    2015 – Present

Erase PTSD Now

  • Oversees medical services, clinical policies and procedures, research design, and sponsored treatment programs involving SGB and the SOF/DSR method.
  • Serves as principal investigator in physician-initiated research.

Science Advisor    2013 – Present

Nonprofit Program for PTSD Treatment

  • Provides SGB/DSR-based treatment and supervises research intended to improve care for patients with PTSD.

Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery    2018 – Present

University of Illinois at Chicago | Chicago, IL

  • Academic appointment supporting surgical and pain-medicine education.

Medical Director    1996 – Present

Advanced Pain Centers | Chicago, IL

  • Responsible for clinical policies and procedures, quality oversight, and direct interventional pain care.

Medical Director, Pain Clinic    2018 – 2022

Illinois Masonic Hospital | Chicago, IL

  • Provided direct patient care and optimized pain-clinic policies and procedures.

Medical Device Consultant    2013 – 2015

Medtronic | Minneapolis, MN

  • Consulted on the development of dorsal column/spinal cord stimulation devices.

Chief Medical Officer, 501(c)(3)    2014 – 2018

I Grow Chicago | Chicago, IL

  • Developed programs to assess organizational impact on underserved communities, provided medical assistance, and supported grant development.

Medical Device Consultant    2006 – 2008

B&D | New York, NY

  • Provided needle-design expertise.

Chief of Anesthesia    1994 – 1999

Poplar Creek Surgery Center | Hoffman Estates, IL

  • Directed anesthesia staffing, clinical policies, and direct patient care in a four-room ambulatory surgical center.

Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology    1990 – 1994

Rush University Medical Center | Chicago, IL

  • Pain-clinic attending and complex anesthesia provider in cardiothoracic, obstetric, pediatric, and craniofacial surgery.

LICENSURE AND CERTIFICATIONS

  • American Board of Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine: certified 1993; recertified 2014.
  • American Board of Anesthesiology, Anesthesiology: certified 1991 (lifetime/grandfathered status).
  • Illinois medical license #036071840: held since 1986.
  • Additional licenses (state referenced in source CV, numbers not provided): California, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington.
  • Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS): current since 1994.
  • Basic Life Support (BLS): current since 1994.
  • Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS): 1994–1996 (as reflected in source CV).

EDUCATION AND POSTGRADUATE TRAINING

Rush University Medical Center

Chicago, IL    1989 – 1990

Advanced Training in Anesthesia and Pain

University of Illinois / West Side VA

Chicago, IL    1987 – 1989

Anesthesiology Residency and Pain Medicine Training

University of Illinois / Cook County Hospital / West Side VA

Chicago, IL    1984 – 1986

Surgical Residency

Northwestern University Medical School

Chicago, IL    1980 – 1984

Doctor of Medicine

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL    1976 – 1980

B.A., Biochemistry; Phi Beta Kappa

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

  • American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), 1990 – present.
  • American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP), 2010 – present; founding member and first president, Illinois Chapter.

FACULTY AND INSTRUCTOR APPOINTMENTS

Spine Intervention Society (SIS)    2010 – 2018

Instructor and Professional Resource

North American Spine Society (NASS)    2016 – 2018

Instructor and Professional Resource

Rush University Medical Center

Chicago, IL    1990 – 1996

Academic Faculty / Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology

MEDICAL JOURNAL REVIEWER

  • JAMA Psychiatry
  • Journal of Affective Disorders
  • Journal of Clinical Anesthesia
  • Journal of Traumatic Stress
  • Anesthesiology
  • Maturitas
  • Medical Hypotheses
  • Military Medicine
  • Neuromodulation
  • Pain Practice
  • Postgraduate Medical Journal

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

  • Reversal of Battle-Related Aging (ROBRA) in a Special Operations Forces Cohort: principal investigator, physician-initiated study, NCT05855876, 2023.
  • Effects of Stellate Ganglion Block in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: co-designer of NYU study, NCT0539197, 2022.
  • Efficacy of a New Utilization of Neurostimulators for Persistent Postsurgical Neck Pain: lead investigator in a physician-initiated subcutaneous stimulation study for Medtronic, 2012.

INTERNATIONAL PRESENTATIONS

  • Use of SGB to Treat Suicidal Ideation in PTSD, American Psychiatric Association, Canada, 2015.
  • Use of SGB to Treat Hot Flashes, Pan Asian Lancet Oncology, Singapore, 2012.
  • Use of SGB to Treat PTSD, ISPOR, Spain, 2011.
  • Hot Flash Treatment Using SGB, Oslo University Hospital, Norway, 2010.
  • Hot Flash Treatment Using SGB, Oslo University Hospital, Norway, 2009.
  • Long-Duration Pulsed Radiofrequency for Upper-Extremity CRPS, Euroneuro, Netherlands, 2008.
  • Lower Back Treatment, DRK Kliniken Hospital, Germany, 2004.

SGB / PTSD-FOCUSED PRESENTATIONS

  • American Society of Regional Anesthesia (ASRA), live e-poster presentation, “Stellate Ganglion Block Has a Marked Impact on Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome: A Case Series,” San Francisco, CA, May 2023.
  • American Psychiatric Association, oral presentation, San Francisco, CA, 2023.
  • Fort Bragg / SOCOM Grand Rounds, Fayetteville, NC, 2021.
  • American Academy of Pain Medicine, oral presentation, Washington, DC, 2020.
  • Walter Reed Medical Center Grand Rounds, Washington, DC, 2020.
  • American Psychiatric Association, oral presentation, Toronto, Canada, 2015.
  • American Psychiatric Association, oral presentation, New York, NY, 2014.
  • AMSUS, Seattle, WA, 2013.
  • Canadian Society of Anesthesiologists, poster, Quebec City, Canada, 2012.
  • International Anesthesia Research Society, poster, Boston, MA, 2012.
  • American Society of Regional Anesthesia, poster, San Diego, CA, 2012.
  • PostGraduate Assembly, poster, New York, NY, 2011.
  • ISPOR Annual European Congress, poster, Madrid, Spain, 2011.
  • U.S. Congressional Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, oral presentation, Washington, DC, 2010.

Publications and Scholarly Work

  • Lipov EG, Rolain H, Lammers L. “Unanticipated Elimination of Bulimia Symptoms Following a Cervical Sympathetic Block for Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Case Report.” 2024.

2023

  • Lipov E, et al. “Efficacy of Combined Subanesthetic Ketamine Infusion and Cervical Sympathetic Blockade as a Symptomatic Treatment of PTSD/TBI in a Special Forces Patient With a 1-Year Follow-up: A Case Report.” Heliyon. 2023;9(4).
  • Lipov E, Faber JA. “Efficacy of Cervical Sympathetic Blockade in the Treatment of Primary and Secondary PTSD Symptoms: A Case Series.” Heliyon. 2023;9(6).
  • Lipov E. “Efficacy of Right-Sided Cervical Sympathetic Block in Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Australian Cohorts: A Retrospective Analysis.” 2023.
  • Lipov E. “Survey Reveals That Renaming Post-Traumatic Stress ‘Disorder’ to ‘Injury’ Would Reduce Stigma.” Cureus. 2023;15(5).

2022

  • Lipov E, et al. “Utility of Cervical Sympathetic Block in Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Multiple Cohorts: A Retrospective Analysis.” Pain Physician. 2022;25(1):77.

2021

  • Lipov E, Candido K. “The Successful Use of Left-Sided Stellate Ganglion Block in Patients Who Fail to Respond to Right-Sided Stellate Ganglion Block for PTSD Symptoms: A Retrospective Analysis of 205 Patients.” Military Medicine. 2021;186(11-12):319-320.

2020

  • Lipov E, Gluncic V, Lukić IK, Candido K. “How Does Stellate Ganglion Block Alleviate Immunologically Linked Disorders?” Medical Hypotheses. 2020;144:110000.

2018

  • Lipov E, Tukan A, Candido K. “It Is Time to Look for New Treatments for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Can Sympathetic System Modulation Be an Answer?” Biological Psychiatry. 2018;84(2):e17-e18.

2017

  • Lipov E. “Stellate Ganglion Block for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Call for the Complete Story, and Continued Research.” ASRA Newsletter. 2017.
  • Lipov E, Tukan A, Candido K. Letter to the Editor: “It Is Time to Look for New Treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Can Sympathetic System Modulation Be an Answer?” Biological Psychiatry. 2017.
  • Lipov E, Candido K. “BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism and Memory Performance in Older Adults: The Met Carrier Effect Is More Complex Than Previously Thought.” Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria. 2017;39(3):276.
  • Lipov E, Candido K, Ritchie EC. “Possible Reversal of PTSD-Related DNA Methylation by Sympathetic Blockade.” Journal of Molecular Neuroscience. 2017.
  • Lipov E, Candido K. “Efficacy and Safety of Stellate Ganglion Block in Chronic Ulcerative Colitis.” World Journal of Gastroenterology. 2017;23(17):3193.

2016

  • Lipov E. “Role of the Sympathetic Nervous System in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder-Related Male Sexual Dysfunction.” In: Intimacy Post-Injury: Combat Trauma and Sexual Health. 2016:17.

2015

  • Lipov E, Ritchie EC. “A Review of the Use of Stellate Ganglion Block in the Treatment of PTSD.” Current Psychiatry Reports. 2015;17(8):1-5.
  • Lipov E. “The Use of Stellate Ganglion Block in the Treatment of Panic/Anxiety Symptoms (Including Suicidal Ideation) With Combat-Related PTSD.” In: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Related Diseases in Combat Veterans. Springer; 2015:179-196.
  • Lipov E. “With War-Related PTSD Being Resistant to Pharmaceuticals, Is It Time to Give Stellate Ganglion Block a Shot?” Journal of Trauma & Treatment. 2015.

2014

  • Mulvaney SW, Lynch JH, Hickey MJ, et al.; Lipov E. “Stellate Ganglion Block Used to Treat Symptoms Associated With Combat-Related PTSD: A Case Series of 166 Patients.” Military Medicine. 2014;179(10):1133-1140.

2013

  • Lipov E, et al. “Stellate Ganglion Block Improves Refractory PTSD and Associated Memory Dysfunction: A Case Report and Systematic Literature Review.” Military Medicine. 2013;178(2):e260-e264.
  • Lipov E. “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as an Overactivation of the Sympathetic Nervous System: An Alternative View.” Journal of Trauma & Treatment. 2013;3:181.
  • Lipov E, Slavin KV. “More Evidence Supporting a Unified Theory of Stellate Ganglion Block.” Medical Hypotheses. 2013;81(1):146.
  • Hickey AH, Navaie M, Stedje-Larsen ET, Lipov EG, McLay RN. “Stellate Ganglion Block for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.” Psychiatric Annals. 2013;43(2):87-92.
  • Lipov E, et al. “Use of Intra-Articular and Intrabursal Pulsed Radiofrequency for Persistent Arthrogenic Shoulder Pain.” Pain Medicine. 2013;14(4):554-556.

2012

  • Lipov E, Kelzenberg B. “Sympathetic System Modulation to Treat PTSD: A Review of Clinical Evidence and Neurobiology.” Journal of Affective Disorders. 2012;142(1):1-5.
  • Lipov E, et al. “A Novel Application of Stellate Ganglion Block: Preliminary Observations for the Treatment of PTSD.” Military Medicine. 2012;177(2):125.
  • Lipov E, et al. “Modulation of NGF by Cortisol and Stellate Ganglion Block: Is This the Missing Link Between Memory Consolidation and PTSD?” Medical Hypotheses. 2012;79(6):750-753.

2011

  • Lipov E. “Hybrid Neurostimulator: Simultaneous Use of Spinal Cord and Peripheral Nerve Field Stimulation to Treat Low-Back and Leg Pain.” Progress in Neurological Surgery. 2011;24:147-155.
  • Lipov E, Kelzenberg BM. “Stellate Ganglion Block to Treat Perimenopausal Hot Flashes: Clinical Evidence and Neurobiology.” Maturitas. 2011;69(2):95-96.
  • Lipov EG. “Hybrid Neurostimulator: Simultaneous Use of Spinal Cord and Peripheral Nerve Field Stimulation to Treat Low-Back and Leg Pain.” In: Peripheral Nerve Stimulation. Vol 24. Karger; 2011:147-155.

2010

  • Lipov E. “Successful Use of Stellate Ganglion Block and Pulsed Radiofrequency in the Treatment of PTSD: A Case Report.” Pain Research and Treatment. 2010.
  • Lipov E. “In Search of an Effective Treatment for Combat-Related PTSD: Can Stellate Ganglion Block Be the Answer?” Pain Practice. 2010;10:265-266.
  • Lipov E. “Cervical Sympathetic Ganglion Block: New Hope for PTSD Relief.” In: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment. Nova Publishers; 2010:159-175.

2009

  • Lipov E, Joshi JR, Sanders S, Slavin KV. “A Unifying Theory Linking the Prolonged Efficacy of Stellate Ganglion Block for CRPS, Hot Flashes, and PTSD.” Medical Hypotheses. 2009;72:657-661.
  • Lipov E, Joshi JR, Sanders S. “A New Mechanism of Action for Tamoxifen.” Lancet Oncology. 2009;10:542.
  • Lipov E, et al. “Use of Peripheral Subcutaneous Field Stimulation for the Treatment of Axial Neck Pain: A Case Report.” Neuromodulation. 2009;12(4):292-295.

2008

  • Lipov E, Joshi JR, Lipov S, Sanders SE, Siroko MK. “Cervical Sympathetic Blockade in a Patient With PTSD: A Case Report.” Annals of Clinical Psychiatry. 2008;20:227-228.
  • Lipov E, Joshi JR, Xie H, Slavin KV. “Updated Findings on the Effects of Stellate Ganglion Block on Hot Flushes and Night Awakenings.” Lancet Oncology. 2008;9(9):819-820.
  • Lipov E, Joshi JR, Sanders S, et al. “Effects of Stellate Ganglion Block on Hot Flushes and Night Awakenings in Survivors of Breast Cancer: A Pilot Study.” Lancet Oncology. 2008;9:523-532.
  • Lipov EG, Joshi JR. “Long-Duration Pulsed Radiofrequency for the Treatment of Upper-Extremity Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.” European Journal of Anaesthesiology. 2008;25.

2007

  • Lipov E, Lipov S, Joshi JR, Santucci VD, Slavin KV, Beck Vigue SG. “Stellate Ganglion Block May Relieve Hot Flashes by Interrupting the Sympathetic Nervous System.” Medical Hypotheses. 2007;69:758-763.

2005

  • Lipov E, Lipov S, Stark JT. “Stellate Ganglion Blockade Provides Relief From Menopausal Hot Flashes: A Case Report Series.” Journal of Women’s Health. 2005;14:737-741.

2002

  • Lipov E. “Intrathecal Drug Therapy in Chronic Low Back Pain.” In: Low Back Pain: Diagnosis and Treatment. ASIPP Publishing; 2002:93-101.

1995

  • Lipov E, McCarthy RJ, Ivankovich AD. “Walk, Don’t Run: Alternative Methods of Changing Needle Direction.” Anesthesia & Analgesia. 1995;80:1067.

1994

  • Lipov E, McCarthy RJ, Ivankovich AD. “Severe Kinking of an Epidural Needle.” Anesthesia & Analgesia. 1994;78(3):607-608.
  • Lipov E, Sosis MB, McCarthy RJ, Ivankovich AD. “Does the Design of the Sprotte Spinal Needle Reduce the Force Needed to Deform the Tip?” Journal of Clinical Anesthesia. 1994;6(5):411-413.

1993

  • Lipov E. “Safe Nasogastric Tube Placement in a Patient With a Basal Skull Fracture.” Anesthesiology. 1993;78(5):989.
  • Lipov E, Sosis MB. “Anesthesia for Otic Surgery.” Anesthesiology Clinics. 1993;11(3):547-558.
  • Lipov E, Sosis MB, Ivankovich AD. “A Comparison of Epidermal Coring With 22-G Spinal Needles.” Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. 1993;18(2S):91.

1991

  • Lipov E. “Emergence Delirium in the PACU.” Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America. 1991;3(1):145-149.