Patient Stories
Ashlyn’s Story
April 4, 2018
Earlier this year, Ashlyn Rivera got into an accident that was so severe she had to be airlifted from her home in Laredo to UHS, where she was rushed into surgery. During her stay, Izabela Tarasiewicz, M.D., and the team at the Department of Neurosurgery performed four major life-saving surgeries. Ashlyn stayed in the pediatric […]
Alan Cirlin’s story
March 29, 2018
Alan Cirlin suffered from severe Parkinson’s disease for many years. He couldn’t do simple things like cooking and getting himself dressed. It got to be so bad that he was confined to a wheelchair. “I kept falling over,” he said. “I was like a kid.” Alan started attending a Parkinson’s Support group. It was there […]
Stryker Neurovascular Atlas Stent.
March 15, 2018
Dr. Ramesh Grandhi from UT Health Neurosurgery San Antonio was the first physician in San Antonio/Central Texas, and one of the first in the country, to use the @StrykerNV Atlas Stent. The Atlas Stent can be delivered through a smaller catheter which makes it able to access smaller vessels in difficult areas of the brain. […]
Nicki’s Story
March 13, 2018
Nicki’s family told us that they originally brought her into the emergency room because she was “getting fevers that she couldn’t shake.” After they found out she had a serious left-sided intracranial abscess, Nicki was rushed into surgery. Izabela Tarasiewicz, M.D., performed a hemicraniectomy and Ramesh Grandhi, M.D., placed a pipeline. She also had multiple […]
Victoria Briseno’s Story
January 8, 2018
Last November, Victoria Briseno began experiencing neck pain that quickly progressed to limb weakness. She was taken to an ER for fear that she had suffered a spinal cord stroke. After being hospitalized for nine days, Victoria was transferred to the Neuro ICU at UHS for evaluation and treatment. She was treated by Rachel Garvin, […]
James Durham
December 14, 2017
Six years ago, James Durham was in a motorcycle accident. He was immediately rushed to the ER, where he was treated by the Neurocritical Care team. During his time in the hospital, he had a craniotomy, which was performed by Viktor Bartanusz, MD. James shared part of his experience with us: “I was in a […]
Pediatric Pain Management Clinic
November 15, 2017
UT Health is excited to announce that we have a new pediatric pain clinic taking place in the UHS Neurosurgery Clinic on the fourth Tuesday of every month. Clinic co-directors Drs. Mina and Eckmann from the Department of Anesthesiology are collaborating with our very own Dr. Tarasiewicz to provide our community with a multidisciplinary approach […]
Cordelia’s Story
November 9, 2017
Cordelia has had Parkinson’s disease for 13 years. Recently, she started to notice that her symptoms were getting worse; she became afraid of falling whenever she stood up or tried to move around. “The tremors were getting hard to handle,” Cordelia explained. “I thought I was going to have to retire, which would mean I […]
Craniofacial Clinic
September 18, 2017
Last Tuesday, Pablo and Amanda Gonzalez brought their daughter, Alessia, to the very first craniofacial clinic. Alessia has Apert syndrome and came to the clinic for a follow-up after having two craniosynostosis surgeries. The clinic is unique because it gives families a chance to meet with many specialists in one visit. The doctors and their […]
Veronica Cuevas’ Story
August 1, 2017
Veronica Cuevas was at a trampoline park with her friends when she did a back flip and landed on her feet. Immediately, she knew something was wrong. “I had a sharp pain on the base of my head. I couldn’t hear. I couldn’t walk to get water or anything. It was the worst pain I […]