from around the globe Patients come to Barrow for world-class care

The luck of the Irish may have landed Jean Mason, 51, of Dublin, Ireland, in the right place at the right time. In February, Jean was unexpectedly diagnosed with a brain aneurysm just hours after her brother, Ger Doherty, 39, underwent surgery for treatment of the same condition at Barrow.

Jean had flown to Phoenix to support Ger, who was in town from Portland to undergo neurosurgery by Robert Spetzler, MD, director of Barrow. Within hours of her brother’s surgery, Jean began experiencing excruciating headaches and nausea. She was taken to St. Joseph’s Emergency Department, where an MRI detected an aneurysm in her brain. Two days later, Dr. Spetzler performed surgery to repair Jean’s aneurysm.

Five months ago, Jean and Ger lost their sister, Rose, to a ruptured aneurysm. After aneurysms were detected in Ger’s brain, he contacted Dr. Spetzler, who is internationally recognized for his treatment of cerebrovascular aneurysms. Dr. Spetzler performed his 5,000th aneurysm procedure this year—the most any neurosurgeon is believed to have ever performed.

“I am very thankful to have been in Phoenix when I began having symptoms and grateful for the high level of care I received,” says Jean. “The luck of the Irish brought me to Dr. Spetzler and Barrow for a successful outcome.”

Cerebral aneurysms are balloon-like dilatations along normal arteries that most often develop at the base of the brain. They begin as weak spots in the wall of a blood vessel in the brain and can gradually grow larger, creating a thin-walled, blood-filled balloon that can burst. Many aneurysms remain undetected and produce no signs or symptoms until they rupture. Only 50 percent of people who have a ru ptured aneurysm live. Of those who survive, 50 percent will lead a normal life. Donor-supported research into aneurysms, such as the Marguerite Clark Hobbs Ruptured neurysm Trial, has enabled Barrow to improve treatments for these potentially deadly abnormalities.

Barrow team performs 100th operation for rare brain tumor

Neurosurgeons recently performed Barrow’s 100th hypothalamic hamartoma (HH) surgery. HH is a rare benign brain tumor that, without treatment, can cause increasingly severe seizures and damage to the brain, and can lead to pro g ressive cognitive impairment, extreme rage and/or precocious puberty as children age.

The hospital reached this surgical milestone when Harold Rekate, MD, director of the Pediatric Neurosurgery Program at Barrow, operated on Devin O’Day, 18, of Las Vegas. O’Day, who began having seizure s soon after birth, was diagnosed with HH in 2005 after she began experiencing rage attacks, cognitive decline and approximately four seizures a day.

“I’m so happy that treatment options are available for people with HH, and I’m thankful for the Barrow team who treated me,” says O’Day.

Because hypothalamic hamartomas lie in a portion of the brain that is hard to reach without causing severe damage to vital areas, removal of the tumors had been considered extremely difficult if not impossible. In 2003, Barrow adopted a surgical approach that has proven successful in reaching and removing the tumors. Further refining the pro c e d u re, Barrow physicians and researchers developed a new endoscopic technique that allows the mass to be removed through a very small hole drilled in the skull instead of through a formal open craniotomy.

“It’s rewarding to know that Barrow’s HH team has made an impact on so many children and young adults within the last four years,” says Dr. Rekate. “Most of our patients are now seizure- free and are able to think better and control the rages that sometimes accompany this condition.”

Barrow opened the first HH center in the United States in 2003 and has treated children from all over the world. It is the only comprehensive enter in the nation to provide such services. Support from Barrow Neurological Foundation, including Health & Wealth Raffle funds, has enabled the HH Center to increase Barrow’s understanding of the disease and develop less invasive approaches to removing the tumors.

Nine- month-old child comes to Barrow for brain surgery

In the summer of 2007, Oesa and Jens Hauch of Bothell, Washington, faced the most difficult decision of their lives: Whether to take their nine-month-old son, Finn, to Barrow for brain surgery to remove what doctors thought was a cerebellar cavernous malformation. Their Seattle doctors recommended a wait-and-see approach because of Finn’s young age and the risks of brain surgery.

But the couple were disturbed by motor problems Finn was having—odd eye and head movements, difficulty reaching for things, balance disturbances. Then, while researching on the web, they discovered the Angioma Alliance and its online forum. “When we contacted them, everyone told us to get the opinion of Dr. Spetzler in Phoenix,” says Oesa.

After reviewing Finn’s images, Robert Spetzler, MD, had no doubts what they should do. He recommended immediate surgery. “It was the most difficult decision ever, especially since we liked our [Seattle] doctor,” Oesa says, who adds that Dr. Spetzler’s confidence helped them make the decision to operate. “You want someone to be confident when they’re operating on your baby’s brain.”

Finn underwent surgery on August 1. Dr. Spetzler and his team found that the malformation was actually an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a snarled tangle of arteries and veins thought to develop before or shortly after birth. When they hemorrhage, AVMs can cause a stroke and even death.

Fortunately, an angiogram performed after the surgery showed that the Barrow team had successfully removed the entire AVM. Finn was discharged two days after surgery and two days after that flew home to Seattle.

“He’s doing great, especially considering he had a craniotomy three weeks ago,” his mother reported in late August. “He’s able to sit longer and he’s getting stronger. We’re so happy with the care we received at Barrow. Everyone was so kind and supportive.”