Chicago Med's Gruesome Medical Props Revealed (Exclusive)

Published Oct 21, 2026, 7:47 PM EDT

Adam has been writing in the entertainment news space for over a decade. Beginning his career of covering film and TV at CinemaBlend, he has also appeared on The Flash Podcast and done several radio spots. 

Content Warning: This article contains graphic images of realistic medical injuries, prosthetics, and special effects that some readers may find disturbing.

EXCLUSIVE: Chicago Med spares no expense and effort in creating gory moments for its audience on NBC, and we have an exclusive look behind-the-scenes at some of the gory and unsettling props created for patients at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, including a sneak peek at some of the upcoming episodes as part of ScreenRant's Halloween: 31 Days of Horror celebration.

With medical TV shows regularly depicting patients suffering from gruesome injuries, illnesses, and life-threatening conditions, creating realistic medical effects is essential. Over its 12-season run, Chicago Med has delivered its share of shocking, bloody, and unsettling moments, thanks in large part to the remarkable work of its props department.

The most recent example is the “leeches” that were used in last week’s “Third Rails,” for a patient who refused surgery to repair her blood vessels. There are also two upcoming props: a prosthetic pregnant belly that’s been bruised after a crash, and a mangled, torn-apart arm. They’ll be seen in Episodes 4 (“Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow”) and 12 (“Last Christmas … I Gave You My Heart”) of Chicago Med season 12, respectively. Check out our two galleries below:

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Additionally, Chicago Med’s showrunner and two of its leading actors had kind words to say about the show’s props department. First, Allen MacDonald, who fills the former behind-the-scenes position, noted that this aspect of production, as well as the makeup and practical special effects, are even more impressive than what he saw when he worked on CSI. Showrunner Allen MacDonald:

"I may have worked on CSI for 8 seasons, but I can tell you that I have never seen better prosthetic, make-up, and practical special effects work than Crystal Portillo and her incredible team (Justine Losoya, Libby Knapp). Chicago Med simply wouldn’t be Chicago Med without them. Crystal’s work is so detailed, well-researched, and visceral. She certainly captures the gore, but that’s not what it ever feels like when you watch it. Why? Because she grounds it and makes it feel so relatable and human. In short: Crystal is the s#*t."

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Steven Weber, who plays Dr. Sean Archer, also praised the prosthetics used in Chicago Med, explaining how the prop team also does their homework when it comes to the characters for whom said props are created:

"The props department researches the characters as much as—if not occasionally more than!—the actors, and the imagination they employ when filling out the characters’ lists of personal belongings are often crucial to creating a fuller character than what’s on the page; also, they know the perfect amount of money used to bribe actors to say nice things about them."

Finally, Jessy Schram, who plays Dr. Hannah Asher, started off by saying that “props are essential” and a “massive part of the functional and visual story,” to the point that “some actors build entire characters, based on one prop, creating emotional connection and history.” She continued:

"When it comes to Chicago Med, they’re everything. The correct scalpel, clamps, laps, surgical masks and gear are obvious mentions. Our patients depend on their tubes and IVs, but as important as it is to have the prop- it’s detrimental that they’re properly placed. Our department not only provides product and the physical necessities, they know the correct ways to apply, portray and use them. Every iPad we carry has a full chart for the characters we’re treating that episode, along with test results, so that we have real material to work with. Patients throw up, need leech therapy, bring a butterfly in a jar that needs to break as part of the story… it’s up to props to make it happen (and more than once)."

Premiering on NBC in November 2015, with its backdoor pilot airing as part of Chicago Fire season 3, Chicago Med kicked off season 12 earlier this month. Two episodes in, and there’s already a major shake-up in the form of S. Epatha Merkerson’s Sharon Goodwin resigning as Gaffney’s executive director and becoming a charge nurse at the hospital. Asher and Archer are also living together to raise their baby daughter, Mabel, who was born in Chicago Med’s season 11 finale.

Chicago Med airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

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  Marlyne Barrett

  Maggie Lockwood

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  S. Epatha Merkerson

  Sharon Goodwin