Sara Gaines, MD
Sara Gaines, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Specialties
- Vascular Surgery
Locations
- Chicago - Hyde Park
- Orland Park
- About
- Specialties & Areas of Expertise
- Locations & Patient Information
- Education & Research
- Accepted Insurance
- External Professional Relationships
[AUDIO LOGO] Hi. I'm Sara Gaines. I'm a vascular surgeon here at the University of Chicago. I completed general surgery also here, and then did a fellowship in vascular surgery at Northwestern Memorial. My clinical, as well as research interests, are in the creation of AV fistulas and AV grafts for patients with chronic kidney disease in need of long term dialysis.
I also specialize in venous insufficiency and the treatment of varicose veins. I think it was the challenge of trying to figure out what was ailing someone or what was causing someone pain. I really enjoyed researching the different options of what could potentially be the disease process that they're battling and then trying to figure out the best treatment for those patients. To me, it was like a little game or a puzzle that I have to try to put it together so that the people could be on the road to recovery.
To me, University of Chicago, it was for the people. It is the researchers who are doing the work to try to improve medical care. It is the patients, it is the other physicians that I work with, the nurses as well as the support staff. It really felt like home to me, so I wanted to come back after my fellowship training at Northwestern. And I just really believe in the values of the hospital that we can advance medical care for our patients through high quality research.
For me, it's to really find out what brings my patients joy and happiness and that as I go through their disease process and their battle, it's pulling time away from doing the things that they love. So my philosophy is to first figure out what brings them happiness, joy, and then what can I do to help them to return to those activities, whether it's the correct surgery or smooth recovery. My goal is to help people get back to their lives and doing what they love.
Patients who have chronic kidney disease need a way in order to get their dialysis. The best and the safest way is through creation of an arteriovenous fistula or an arteriovenous graft. The problem that we're battling right now is that the patency of this fistula or the graph is not great, which leads to our patients being in the hospital all the time.
And so my research focuses on the role of the microbiome in the creation and ultimately the maintenance of these fistulas or grafts, with the aim of the study to improve the patency rates so that our patients are spending less time in the hospital and more time with their families.
[AUDIO LOGO]
In addition to her experience with revision surgery, Dr. Gaines also treats vein disease, addressing conditions such as venous insufficiency and varicose veins. She offers treatments that focus on relieving pain, improving appearance and enhancing mobility.
Along with a commitment to her clinical practice, Dr. Gaines is also conducting important research on how the gut and blood microbiome impacts human health. She is enrolling patients who are undergoing arteriovenous fistulas in a biobanking study. By collecting stool, blood and tissue samples, Dr. Gaines will better understand how the microbiome influences vascular health and AVF function, potentially opening new doors for treatment in the future.
Specialties
Areas of Expertise
- Arteriovenous Fistula Revision
- Dialysis Access Procedures
- Venous Insufficiency
- Varicose Veins
Board Certifications
- Surgery
Languages Spoken
- English
Medical Education
- Tulane University School of Medicine
Internship
- University of Chicago
Residency
- University of Chicago
Fellowship
- Northwestern Memorial
Memberships & Medical Societies
- Midwestern Vascular Surgical Society
- American College of Surgeons
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.
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.
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