St. Joseph’s Barrow Neurological Institute® Celebrates 50 Years
THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC
CREATED BY REPUBLIC MEDIA CUSTOM PUBLISHING
MAY 11, 2012
50 years of bringing great minds together BY: SARAH PADILLA
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rom pioneering spinal procedures to identifying genes responsible for potentially devastating conditions, Barrow Neurological Institute® at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center has been at the forefront of medical advances since its inception. And, as the Phoenix facility celebrates its 50th anniversary, Barrow doctors believe the most significant accomplishments are yet to come. Consistently ranked among the top 10 hospitals in the nation for neurology and neurosurgery, Barrow’s expertise in brain and spinal disorders draws patients from around the world. The Institute, located in Central Phoenix, performs the most brain surgeries per year of any hospital in the United States.
Nearly two years after being internally decapitated— 4-year-old Micah Andrews has made a remarkable recovery BY: JAKE POYNER
PHOTO BY: RICK DELIA
Micah Andrews greets his surgeon Dr. Nicholas Theodore at Barrow Neurological Institute® at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. At 2 years of age Micah suffered a usually fatal injury.
Miracle Micah W
Surgeons at Barrow Neurological Institute® at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center operated on more than 5,000 patients last year. Barrow doctors refer to the anniversary as the start of their “golden age.” They predict that the next 50 years will bring answers to some of the most challenging neurological conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and malignant brain tumors. “Our surgeons will largely put themselves out of business in the coming years,” says Dr. Robert Spetzler, director of Barrow. “Rapid advances in minimally invasive surgery and gene and stem cell treatments will mean the traditional role of the brain and spine surgeon will disappear.”
atch Micah Andrews run, jump, read or give a wide grin after cracking a joke, and you’d imagine you’re looking at an average 4-yearold boy — with his attention turning from the Wiggles, to pirates and air guitar, to magnets. But in one important respect, Micah is quite different from his pre-K peers. He was internally decapitated, a nearly fatal injury, in a car crash — and has survived and thrived thanks to a highly unusual procedure performed by surgeons at Barrow Neurological Institute® at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. On August 4, 2010, Micah was fastened in a car seat in the back seat of a car when it was hit by another vehicle near his home in Laveen. When emergency responders arrived, Micah was unconscious. At St. Joseph’s Level I Trauma Center, he was outfitted with a halo to avoid further damage.
Barrow doctors predict that the next 50 years will bring answers to some of the most challenging diseases. In addition to its hundreds of doctors and nurses, Barrow employs more than 40 full-time basic medical researchers, who are dedicated to developing effective treatments for conditions such as multiple sclerosis Parkinson’s disease, brain tumors, ALS and epilepsy. Several procedures pioneered at Barrow have become part of standard medical practice around the world. These include spinal thoracoscopy, a method of operating on the spine through small incisions in the chest, developed by Barrow neurosurgeon Dr. Curtis Dickman. Barrow researchers also discovered the gene responsible for the inherited form of cerebral cavernous malformations, an irregular cluster of blood vessels in the brain, and developed a blood test to identify the gene. Barrow was started in 1962 by a Chicago neurosurgeon, Dr. John Green, who recognized the dearth of medical services in the Southwest. Wealthy businessman and philanthropist Charles Barrow was instrumental in its launch with a $1.1 million gift after his wife was treated by Green. Today, Barrow has the largest neurosurgery residency program in the U.S. and is one of the nation’s busiest brain tumor treatment centers. Last year, Barrow launched an affiliation with Phoenix Children’s Hospital to form the second largest pediatric neuroscience program in the nation. Under the direction of Dr. Roy Patchell, chairman of Neurology, Barrow Neurology Clinics had approximately 25,000 patient visits last year. “Barrow has a rich and bold legacy that comes to life every day in patients who come from all over the world for our extraordinary medicine,” says Spetzler. “In the next 50 years, we will see advances unlike anything we have witnessed before.”
Micah Andrews, 4, plays with his older sister Elizabeth, 6, in the healing garden at Barrow Neurological Institute® at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Micah had suffered a traumatic brain injury, but more dire was the injury to the young boy’s neck. The supporting structures connecting the base of his skull to his upper cervical spine had been torn apart, an injury known in medical terms as occipitoatlantal dislocation, or colloquially as internal decapitation. “It’s a highly dangerous injury. It is almost always fatal,” said Dr. Nicholas Theodore, Micah’s
neurosurgeon and chief of the Spine Section at Barrow. “It’s also an injury that’s easily overlooked even with a CT scan or MRI.” Fortunately, Barrow neurosurgeons have been among the world’s leaders in perfecting what’s called the threaded Steinmann pin technique — a procedure that Barrow surgeons have performed more than 100 times — more than any other hospital in the world. During surgery, a custom-crafted titanium rod was contoured to precisely fit Micah’s anatomy and then secured with wires and a piece of rib to reattach the base of his skull to his spine. As he grows, Micah’s bone will grow around the stabilizing implant.
“I’ll take care of him. I’ll operate on him as if I’m operating on my own son.” “I’ll never forget what Dr. Theodore told us,” said John Andrews, Micah’s father. “He said, ‘I’ll take care of him. I’ll operate on him as if I’m operating on my own son.’” The surgery took place on Micah’s ninth day in the hospital, and he awoke from his coma on day 12, but the outcome was still uncertain. He was making noises and clenching his fists, which allayed the fear of paralysis, but he was clearly in a state of frustration. On day 13, relief finally came. John whispered an inside family joke in Micah’s ear — and he smiled. “That’s when Micah came into himself again,” said his mother, Heather. “Doctors and nurses were outside the room, and when he smiled, everyone poured in, laughing, smiling and cheering.” As an inpatient and outpatient at Barrow, Micah has gone through a variety of speech, occupational and physical therapy — progressing from awkward walking to a full-on run. He’s gone from only using five words to being fully conversational. Perhaps most important to the family, Micah’s memories, personality and sense of humor remain fully intact. “He’s beyond what they initially projected and is learning and progressing every day,” said Heather. “We’re just so thankful to the Barrow doctors, hospital staff, emergency staff and God that it was such a miracle.”
Bret Michaels Rocker Bret Michaels was rushed to Barrow in 2010 after suffering from a subarachnoid brain hemorrhage. The brain hemorrhage left the musician in critical condition and hospitalized at Barrow for several days. Michaels has since made a full comeback. To see Michaels’ video, visit barrow50.org and click on the 50 Years, 50 Faces icon.
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MAY 11, 2012