The goal of this AANS public outreach project is to help educate people about the role of the neurosurgeon in treating a wide range of medical conditions and diseases. The following are a few of the heartwarming stories patients have shared with the AANS. If you have a compelling story that you would like to share with readers, please click on Submit your Story.

Neurosurgeon: Roger Hartl, MD, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College; Patient: Harold F. Marcus, age 62, lumbar spinal stenosis.

Like an estimated 400,000 other Americans, most over the age of 60, Harold Marcus was suffering for several years from the symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis. This condition is a narrowing of the spinal canal which compresses the nerves traveling through the lower back into the legs. Lumbar spinal stenosis may or may not produce symptoms, depending on the severity of the case. The inflammation of the nerves due to increased pressure, rather than the narrowing of the canal, causes noticeable symptoms to occur.

Harold was treated for a period of time through conservative, nonsurgical methods. After awhile, like many patients with chronic spine-related leg pain, he decided to look at other options. Harold was considered a good candidate for back surgery because his back and leg pain was limiting his normal activity and impairing his quality of life; he was having difficulty standing or walking; medication and physical therapy had proven ineffective; and he was in reasonably good health. After contemplating his choices, Harold decided to have back surgery, which was performed on December 7, 2007. Click here to read Harold's story in his own compelling words.

Neurosurgeon: Jonathan A. White, MD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; Patient: Les H. Duncan, age 59, cavernous angioma.

Les Duncan has a genetic condition called cavernous angioma. It is the same condition that was attributed in part to the death of track star Florence Griffith-Joyner, and is related to the condition experienced by Senator Tim Johnson in December 2006, arteriovenous malformation (AVM). Cavernous angimoas are also referred to as cavernomas, cavernous malformations, cavernous hemangiomas, cerebrovascular malformations, or intracranial vascular malformations.

The incidence of cavernous angioma is estimated at one in 100-200 people. A minimum of 30 percent of people with cavernous angioma will develop symptoms. At least 20 percent of those with cavernous angioma have the familial form of the illness.

Les underwent a craniotomy to remove a cavernous angioma in the pons area of his brainstem on February 9, 2006. This was not the first time he experienced the effects of this genetic condition. Les has survived four brain hemorrhages and two brain surgeries in the past 18 years of his life. Click here to read Les' compelling story in his own words.

Neurosurgeon: William Chandler, MD, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.; Patient: Bradley Thomas Horton, age at diagnosis 13, current age 40, benign brain tumor.

Bradley Thomas Horton was first diagnosed with a brain tumor on his 13th birthday, 27 years ago. His family was told it was cancer, but a second opinion and biopsy revealed that it was a very large, benign pineal region mass. It has been a long road of recovery and renewal for Bradley. He has undergone a total of 14 procedures over the course of 17 years, primarily involving shunt placement and revisions, caused in part by the size of the tumor, fluid build-up, and medication complications. He survived four comas in 1997, and feels lucky to be alive. His experiences have helped him reach a point in his life in which his future mission is clear: advocating for the rights of other people with life-altering disabilities.
Click here to read Bradley’s compelling story in his own words.

Neurosurgeon: Jeffrey Elias, MD, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, Va.; Patient: Christine Coles, age 43, Parkinson’s disease.

Christine Coles was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) at the age of only 39. While PD usually develops after the age of 55, the disease may affect people in their 30s and 40s, such as actor Michael J. Fox, diagnosed at age 30. The majority of PD patients are treated with medications to relieve the symptoms of the disease, but with varying degrees of effectiveness. After being treated for a few years with medication therapy, Christine’s neurologist recommended that she consider deep brain stimulation (DBS) to help alleviate her tremors.

Christine underwent subthalamic nucleus DBS surgery on June 23, 2005. DBS is presumed to help modulate dysfunctional circuits in the brain so that the brain can function more effectively. This is accomplished by sending continuous electrical signals to specific target areas of the brain, which block the impulses that cause neurological dysfunctions, such as tremors, slowness, and rigidity. Christine feels that DBS has made all the difference in the world for her. Click here to read Christine’s compelling story in her own words.

Neurosurgeon: Ralph G. Dacey Jr., MD, Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, Mo.; Patient: Elizabeth Erman, age 38, ophthalmic segment internal carotid artery aneurysm.

In mid-September 2004, two weeks before her wedding, Elizabeth Erman was at work and suddenly lost her right field of vision. One week before her wedding, she had an MRI, which didn’t show anything abnormal. After returning from her honeymoon, she went to see a neurologist. The CT scan revealed a 6 mm aneurysm behind her left eye at the intersection of the carotid and ophthalmic arteries.

In January 2005, she was scheduled to undergo an endovascular coiling procedure to remove the unruptured aneurysm. However, this could not be done because the neuroradiologist determined that it would have caused a loss of vision. So Elizabeth had a difficult decision to make – take a "wait and see" approach or undergo surgical clipping and a craniotomy. After living with this anxiety-producing situation for several months, Elizabeth underwent surgery on April 25, 2005. Click here to read Elizabeth’s compelling story in her own words.

Neurosurgeon: Monica C. Wehby, MD, Emanuel Children’s Hospital, Portland, Ore.; Patient: Linnea Winters, age 9,
spina bifida.

Linnea Winters was born on June 9, 1997, with spina bifida, hydrocephalus, and club feet. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), there are currently an estimated 70,000 Americans living with spina bifida. Linnea has a lot of fun, despite the fact that she is living with a physical condition that challenges her every day. It is because of her good nature, tenacity, and support of her family and neurosurgeon, Monica Wehby, MD, that she has been able to live as normal a life as possible. Click here to see this press release