Wellstar Health System Releases 1-Year Progress Report on Affiliation with Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia

Neurosurgeons at Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center achieved a new surgical approach to treat an aneurysm behind the eye. It’s called endoscopic endonasal clipping of a superior ophthalmic aneurysm. The procedure for an aneurysm in this location is believed to be the first of its kind performed through the nose. This innovative technique offers a promising alternative for patients with complex aneurysms, particularly younger individuals.

Dr. M. Salman Ali, director of Skull Base, Pituitary and Surgical Neuro-oncology and assistant professor of Neurosurgery at Augusta University, led the team in this pioneering procedure performed at Wellstar MCG Health. An aneurysm, as Dr. Ali explains, is a “weak spot in a blood vessel in the brain,” prone to rupture, which can be life-threatening. Located near the eye, the superior ophthalmic aneurysm is a rare and challenging condition.





Image provided by Augusta University Medical College of Georgia Department of Neurosurgery.

“MCG Neurosurgery has been here for many years and we have a long tradition of teaching and research,” said Dr. Fernando L. Vale, neurosurgeon and Department of Neurosurgery chair at Augusta University. “We bring teams together, use advanced technology and pay close attention to the complex details for the better outcome of our patients. Working as a team can create better science.”

The best thing for the patient

Traditionally, superior ophthalmic aneurysms were treated with open brain surgery and significant brain tissue manipulation. While endovascular techniques with the use of stents—tubes that support weak artery walls—are now more common, they carry a recurrence risk and require lifelong medication.

This was a concern for Dr. Ali, whose patient was only 36 years old. Thus, he and his team proposed clipping the aneurysm through the nasal cavity instead. This minimally invasive technique offered a treatment with no incisions or brain tissue manipulation, a significantly lower recurrence rate and no need for long-term medication.

"I thought it was the best thing for the patient," Dr. Ali emphasized, explaining his decision to pursue this approach.

The procedure required a multidisciplinary team including ENT surgeons, interventional vascular surgeons, neuro-anesthesiologists and neuromonitoring specialists—and a carefully executed surgical plan.

“This could not have been possible without this wonderful team,” Dr. Ali said. 

The patient, who found out about her aneurysm from routine imaging after a car accident, was discharged only two days after the surgery and is recovering well. Dr. Ali stressed the importance of offering patients options and empowering them to make informed decisions.

"This prioritizes the patient and surgical excellence,” he continued.

Dr. Ali hopes this procedure will become a treatment option for people with hard-to-reach aneurysms in the future, offering them a better quality of life.

Academic hospital paves way for doctors of the future

This achievement not only benefits patients but also serves as a valuable learning experience for medical residents and fellows who were in the operating room that day. 

“Seeing is believing,” Dr. Ali said, highlighting the importance of academic medicine in advancing surgical techniques. “When students see someone else do it, why can’t they do it? It’s our duty to be better than the surgeons before us. The students now have more technology and better anatomical understanding—their outcomes will be even better than ours.”

Learn more about neurosurgery at Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center.

Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center has earned another three-year accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC), a quality program of the American College of Surgeons. This accreditation demonstrates our commitment to providing personalized, high-quality cancer care close to home for patients in Georgia.

To achieve voluntary NAPRC accreditation, a rectal center must demonstrate compliance with the NAPRC standards addressing program management, clinical services and quality improvement for patients. Centers are required to establish a multidisciplinary rectal cancer team that includes clinical representatives from surgery, pathology, radiology, radiation oncology and medical oncology.

At Wellstar, rectal cancer patients have a multidisciplinary team on their side through every step of treatment. Each patient works with a nurse navigator to schedule appointments with specialists. Patients meet with a medical oncologist, as well as a surgical oncologist or colorectal surgeon. Imaging and lab tests are reviewed by a multidisciplinary board of rectal cancer physicians, efficiently providing patients with input from several experts in cancer care. During the course of treatment, that multidisciplinary board will continue to follow the patient and discuss the best next steps, tailoring care to fit each patient’s individual needs.

Additionally, the program at Wellstar Kennestone met standards addressing the clinical services that the rectal cancer program provides, including Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA testing), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computerized Tomography (CT) imaging for cancer staging, which allow patients to start treatment within a defined timeframe. Rectal cancer programs accredited by the NAPRC undergo a site visit every three years and are also accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.  

“Our patients are surrounded by a team of experienced rectal cancer experts who provide the highest level of personalized care,” said Wellstar Surgical Oncologist Dr. Sahir Shroff, who serves as the rectal cancer program chair.  “We are proud to be the first medical center in metro Atlanta to receive this important accreditation. Our pioneering efforts to adhere to the most rigorous standards and combine the latest technologies and techniques help us achieve excellence in rectal cancer care for our patients.”

Accreditation by the NAPRC is granted only to those programs that are committed to providing the best possible care to patients with rectal cancer. The NAPRC provides the structure and resources to develop and operate a high-quality rectal center. Accredited programs follow a model for organizing and managing a rectal center to ensure multidisciplinary, integrated, comprehensive rectal cancer services. Wellstar Kennestone earned its first accreditation in 2022.