David L. Crawford, MD
Medical Director Robotic Surgery Center;
OSF Saint Francis Medical Center

Dr. David Crawford received his undergraduate degree from Hanover College in Indiana, and his doctorate in medicine from the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Kentucky. He performed his surgical internship and residency at the Abington Memorial Hospital in Abington, Pennsylvania. Dr. Crawford completed a minimally invasive (laparoscopic) surgery fellowship program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.

As a leader in hernia surgery, Dr. Crawford has performed countless hernia repairs in his career. He is skilled in the latest technology and procedures to correct hiatal, inguinal, incisional, femoral and umbilical hernias, many of which can be performed using laparoscopic, or minimally invasive, techniques. Although Dr. Crawford has extensive experience in hernia repair, he also performs a wide range of general surgical procedures. He has also published numerous articles and lectured extensively on various hernia subjects. Dr. Crawford is nationally known for his expertise in using the da Vinci robot to perform minimally invasive procedures such as hernia repair and other abdominal surgeries. He is currently the Director of Robotic Surgery for the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria.

Dr. Crawford is a native of Indiana. He and his wife, also a physician, have two children. Actively involved in the community, he is a staunch supporter in the Boy Scouts of America.

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During his 29-year career in central Illinois, Dr. Geiss has performed cardiac surgery on over 10,000 patients ranging in age from 92 years to just a few hours old. He grew up in Fargo, North Dakota and entered the seminary at age 14. When he decided the priesthood wasn't his calling, he earned degrees in psychology and classical languages and began postgraduate studies in neurophysiology. "Ultimately I figured out I wasn't meant to study the soul or the brain, but the heart," he says.

He went on to earn his medical degree in Texas during the pioneering cardiac surgery era of Drs. DeBakey and Cooley. After completing his surgical residencies, he sought further training in congenital cardiac surgery. Dr. Geiss began the pediatric cardiac surgery program at the Children's Hospital of Illinois within OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, which now ranks among the top congenital heart programs in the United States.

His practice includes both children and adults. As an extension of his pediatric practice, he has also developed expertise in aortic valve-sparing techniques in adults and in mitral valve repairs, for which he is nationally regarded. "Working with the tiniest and often most complex hearts has made me better at fixing adult hearts, too," he says.

This lead to his interest in robotic cardiac surgery. “It’s a natural extension of minimally invasive pediatric heart surgery.” Robotic surgery is much less invasive, avoids a sternal incision, which then facilitates a faster recovery with less discomfort.

Dr. Geiss and his wife have two daughters and four grandchildren. He enjoys biking and flying.

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Salvatore J. LoCoco, MD, F.A.C.O.G.

Dr. Salvatore LoCoco received his medical degree from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas and completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas.  He completed a fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Toronto. 

Dr. LoCoco is an early adopter of robotic surgery in radical pelvic surgery for gynecologic cancer.  He has also participated in establishing training guidelines for robotic surgery.  He has an interest in palliative medicine and hospice care in order to improve the quality of life care.

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Benjamin K. Rhee, MD

Dr. Benjamin Rhee received his doctorate in medicine from Rush Medical College in Chicago in 1990. After completing his urology residency at University of California, San Francisco, he spent two years at Naval Hospital Great Lakes and 10 years in private practice in Minnesota. In July of 2008, he moved to Peoria, IL to concentrate his practice on pediatric urology and pediatric robotic surgery. He is board certified by the American Board of Urology. Dedicated to finding the newest and most effective treatment for a variety of pediatric urological diseases and disorders, Dr Rhee has participated in numerous investigational studies. In addition, he has co-authored a number of publications and given presentations on variety of urological topics. More recently, he has been concentrating his research to advance pediatric robotic surgery.

Dr Rhee and his wife live in the Peoria area with their four children. His hobbies include golfing and riding his motorcycle.

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Sarat C. Sabharwal, MD

Dr. Sarat Sabharwal received his medical degree from the University of Iowa College of Medicine and is board certified in urology. Dr. Sabharwal has had extensive training and has performed robotic surgery for urologic and gynecologic cancer since 2002.

He also participates in training other physicians for robotic surgery. Dr. Sabharwal has an interest in providing comprehensive care to patients with the minimally invasive approach.

Learn more about Urology/Urogynecology >>