When Vera McAdoo was experiencing bleeding in her brain, Wellstar didn’t give up and stayed by her side for every step of recovery.

In September 2019, Vera was at work as an inventory analyst. Then, she suddenly woke up in the emergency department at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital. 

She had a bleeding arteriovenous fistula, an abnormal connection between the arteries and veins in the brain. She had been exhibiting some worrying signs.  She was not talking, she couldn’t open her eyes, and her pupils were not responding.

But Wellstar Neurosurgeon Dr. William Humphries saw hope, and Wellstar was there when seconds mattered. 

Vera was taken to the angiography suite for a catheter-based treatment to control the source of the bleeding before going to the operating room. She underwent an emergent surgery to remove the fistula and treat the swelling in her brain by removing part of her skull. 

She was in a coma in the Neuro-Intensive Care Unit for 30 days, but her care team never gave up. Then, as she started healing, Kennestone’s inpatient rehabilitation program stepped in, ensuring she had the tools and support she needed to return to routine.

Kennestone is home to a specialized Neuro-Intensive Care Unit staffed with a multidisciplinary team of neurocritical care physicians, neurologists and nurses experienced in treating the most complex stroke and aneurysm cases. 

“It was a blessing that Dr. Humphries was there and saved my life,” Vera said. “My care at Kennestone was great.”

To learn more about how Wellstar treats conditions involving the brain, visit our neuro care site.

Wellstar Kennestone Hospital performed its first robotic neurovascular case — a diagnostic cerebral angiogram, which is a procedure used to evaluate blood vessels in the brain. The ability to complete these high-level procedures is now possible using the CorPath System, a robotic-assisted technology. Neurosurgeons Dr. Ahmad Khaldi and Dr. William Humphries performed the procedure.

“The first case with the CorPath System was very successful. Sitting away from the patient in a radiation-protected cockpit, I was able to use a joystick to advance the catheter, millimeter by millimeter,” Dr. Khaldi said. “Additionally, the enhanced visualization of the technology provided me with great control of the catheter. In my opinion, the enhanced control, visualization, and measurement of the CorPath System will transform the way we perform neurovascular procedures and ultimately improve patient care.”

“An aging baby boomer population is driving demand for new innovative technologies to treat strokes,” added Dr. Humphries. “Robotics offers physicians and patients a minimally-invasive technology that may improve the ability to provide rapid endovascular care to patients in the future.”

The CorPath System allows interventional neurosurgeons to perform the procedure remotely, away from the patient bedside. Seated in a radiation-protected cockpit, the physician uses a joystick to robotize catheters and wires to access the neck and brain blood vessels. Additionally, the technology provides neurosurgeons with the ability to accurately measure blockages and precisely position stents. The hope is that this technology will eventually be used for additional stroke treatments to restore blood flow to the brain and treat other complex diseases such as brain aneurysms.

“We are proud to be one of the first medical centers in Georgia to adopt the CorPath System,” said Wellstar Senior Vice President and Wellstar Kennestone Hospital Chief Operating Officer Callie Andrews. “The adoption of the CorPath System at Wellstar Kennestone truly emphasizes our continuous commitment to delivering state-of-the-art technology to our patients and clinical community.”