Picture

Northwestern Medicine
​Breakthroughs for Physicians

​​
  • Home
  • Specialties
    • Cardiovascular >
      • Research
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • News
    • Endocrinology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs In Endocrinology
      • Research In Endocrinology
      • News
    • ENT (Otolaryngology) >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Gastroenterology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Geriatrics >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Neurosciences >
      • Rare and Complex Brain Tumors
      • Research
      • COVID-19 and Neurosciences
      • News
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
    • OB-GYN >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Oncology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Ophthalmology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Organ Transplant >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Orthopaedics >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Psychiatry >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Pulmonary >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Rehabilitation >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • News
    • Rheumatology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Urology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
  • CME
  • REFERRALS
    • Refer to NM Cardiovascular
    • Refer to NM Neurosciences
    • Refer to Other Specialties

< BACK TO CLINICAL BREAKTHROUGHS IN NEUROSCIENCES

July 2021

NEUROSCIENCES

RECONSTRUCTION FOR BRACHIAL PLEXUS INJURY

Featuring: Kevin N. Swong, MD
LISTEN TO PODCAST

Episode Summary

Kevin N. Swong, MD, assistant professor of Neurological Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, discusses trauma to and reconstruction of the brachial plexus. He describes how patient outcomes have improved because of surgical innovations and his team’s multidisciplinary approach to the management of brachial plexus injuries.
 
“The mainstay of treatment [for brachial plexus injuries] was neuroma excision, where we would cut out the nonfunctioning neural tissue and then replace it with donor nerve grafts, most likely from sensory nerves in other places in the body,” says Dr. Swong. “What has become more prevalent is what’s called nerve transfers. So the issue with nerve grafts or when you cut out a neuroma, any functioning tissue that’s still going through that neuroma is essentially removed with that nonfunctioning tissue. And nerve graft allows that functioning tissue to still continue to work, but supplies a functioning nerve from another part of the body. In essence, we’re robbing Peter to pay Paul, because we’re taking nerves from a functional part of the body and rerouting them to a part of the body that doesn’t work.”
Stephen Magill, MD, PhD headshot
​Kevin N. Swong, MD, is an assistant professor of Neurological Surgery at Northwestern Medicine.

Refer a Patient

Northwestern Medicine welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with you on the care of your patients.
Call 844.344.6663
Find an NM Neurologist
FIND AN NM NEUROSURGEON
FIND AN NM NEURORADIOLOGIST

You May Also Like

DMFO Scan

July 2021

NEUROSCIENCES
Minimally Invasive Cranial and Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery
Physician scientists in a lab

July 2021

NEUROSCIENCES
Immunotherapy for Brain Tumors
Headshot of Dr. Priya Kumthekar

March 2021

NEUROSCIENCES
New Spherical Nucleic Acid ‘Drug’ Kills Tumor Cells in Humans With Glioblastoma

Northwestern Medicine Breakthroughs for Physicians

About Us     Terms of Use     Privacy Policy     How to Vote for U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals
© 2025 Northwestern Medicine® and Northwestern Memorial HealthCare. 
Northwestern Medicine® is a trademark of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, used by Northwestern University
Connect with us
[email protected]
International physicians, contact [email protected]
  • Home
  • Specialties
    • Cardiovascular >
      • Research
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • News
    • Endocrinology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs In Endocrinology
      • Research In Endocrinology
      • News
    • ENT (Otolaryngology) >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Gastroenterology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Geriatrics >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Neurosciences >
      • Rare and Complex Brain Tumors
      • Research
      • COVID-19 and Neurosciences
      • News
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
    • OB-GYN >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Oncology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Ophthalmology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Organ Transplant >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Orthopaedics >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Psychiatry >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Pulmonary >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Rehabilitation >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • News
    • Rheumatology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Urology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
  • CME
  • REFERRALS
    • Refer to NM Cardiovascular
    • Refer to NM Neurosciences
    • Refer to Other Specialties