After routine surgery for a pinched nerve, Les Marlow’s spine developed kyphosis, and his neck started to fall forward. The condition was so severe that he could no longer take daily walks, play golf or do many other routine tasks. The x-ray of his neck shows just how bad it was. He was told he needed to see a specialist and found one just a few miles from home at UAMS. Dr. Noojan Kazemi, a UAMS neurosurgeon, performed a complex surgery to repair his spine last September, and the improvement was immediate. After a three-week recovery at home, he returned to his normal routine with a new outlook on life.

“I had not been to UAMS before I went to Dr. Kazemi, and everything was better than expected. There is no reason for anyone to go anywhere other than UAMS.”

Les Marlow, Little Rock

When Johnelle Hunt slipped and fell in 2013, she fractured two vertebrae. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, and doctors there determined she needed more specialized care for her injury in order to prevent further damage, even the possibility of paralysis.

She chose the trauma center at UAMS. She was quickly evaluated by the trauma team and recommended for surgery to repair the damaged vertebrae. Neurosurgeon T. Glenn Pait performed the successful surgery, and she was soon able to return to all the activities she had done before the accident.

“UAMS is so special because it’s a teaching hospital. You have all these smart people taking care of you. You just couldn’t ask for better care.”

Johnelle Hunt, Fayetteville, Ark.

At four months pregnant, Sasha arrived at UAMS in a coma.
We gave her hope — and a baby son.

Early in Sasha’s pregnancy, a tangle of blood vessels ruptured in her brain. She was airlifted to UAMS, where neurosurgeons are on call 24/7. By the time she arrived, she had no pulse and had to be revived twice.

The UAMS team of neurosurgeons, high-risk pregnancy specialists, and other medical experts joined forces to save two lives. Thanks to the high level of care and expertise at UAMS, Sasha and her family had hope. Just months and two surgeries later, Sasha has a bright future and a healthy new son.

UAMS Neurosurgery Patient Roland Pennington

Roland Pennington went from an active life of golfing, playing softball, working out several days a week and performing with a local band to barely being able to walk because of excruciating back pain.

After a frustrating series of visits to several doctors and MRI scans that showed no disk damage, he was at the end of his rope. A visit to the UAMS emergency room and a three-day hospital stay brought only temporary relief. The cure came during a follow-up visit with Dr. J.D. Day, a UAMS neurosurgeon, who found a previously unnoticed tiny bright white spot on an MRI.

Within a week, the benign cyst was removed, and he was home – pain-free.

“Dr. Day listened to my story. His willingness to listen helped diagnose the cause of my pain. His exceptional skill and sincere concern gave me my life back.”

Fanny Long, wife of University of Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long, treated at UAMS.

Fanny Long, wife of University of Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long, had occasional migraines that suddenly turned into two months of almost constant, debilitating pain and weekly visits to the emergency room. Her neurologists in Fayetteville and at the Cleveland Clinic performed tests that revealed a brain aneurysm in her left carotid artery.

Long was immediately referred to UAMS, where Dr. J.D. Day recommended treatment with a relatively new interventional radiology procedure. Dr. Adewumi Amole performed the procedure, placing a microscopic woven wire mesh tube across the aneurysm. Just weeks after this minimally invasive procedure, she had relief from the painful headaches, allowing her to return to the family’s normal Razorback-centered life in Fayetteville.

“The doctors at UAMS saved my life. I’m so proud of Arkansas for having such advanced medical care right here at home.”

For the past 25 years or so, Charlie DeBoard has had an essential tremor. It affected his hands and then his voice, progressing so much that he could barely talk. Embarrassed by the tremor, he gradually spent less time out with friends and family and almost retired. His family doctor recommended he see a specialist at UAMS.

When Dr. Erika Petersen, a UAMS neurosurgeon, discussed surgery to implant wires in his brain to connect to a neurostimulator, he was immediately intrigued. Working in the family business at DeBoard Electronics for more than 40 years, he was familiar with wiring sound systems of all kinds and quickly grasped how the thin wires implanted in his brain would connect with the transmitter in his chest. Those wires gave him his life back.

Charlie DeBoard’s essential tremor stopped by UAMS neurosurgeons.

“This was very innovative surgery, and it got me back in the world. I was very fortunate to have doctors with this expertise so close to home. Otherwise, I would’ve had to go out of state, or even worse, still be trapped by my tremors.”