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Patient Stories
Meet Brittni.
An active high school student, she's always on the go. Plays volleyball year-round. Takes vocal lessons a few days a week. And always makes time for friends.
But her calendar quickly changed when she and a friend lost control of their car on a gravel road. Due to severe damages to Brittni’s brain and spine, Brittni was taken by StarCare helicopter to BryanLGH West where the Trauma Team was waiting. Due to the enormous amount of pressure building in her brain, Brittni underwent vertical resuscitation in which she was placed in a standing position using a tilted table. To further minimize the pressure, neurosurgeons performed two craniotomies, removing pieces of Brittni’s skull and storing them in her abdomen until the swelling in her brain subsided. In addition, orthopedic and spinal specialists performed two operations to repair the damage to Brittni’s neck and spine.
Thanks to the dedicated surgeons, physicians and medical staff at the Louis J. Gogela Sr., MD, Neuroscience Institute, Brittni began rehabilitation just 20 days following the accident and is getting back to the life she’s used to.
Meet Brandon.
He lives for the outdoors. Always the first in line to play. And always the last to quit. Loves baseball, swimming, his bike and anything that involves a good climb.
But a major auto accident left Brandon with a critical head injury. Due to massive swelling of the brain, the neurosurgery team at BryanLGH performed a specialized craniotomy. During the procedure, a piece of his skull was temporarily removed and sewn into his abdomen to preserve it until the swelling subsided. Once the bone was replaced, Brandon made a full recovery and is now back on the field.
Thanks to the region’s leading neurosurgery team, BryanLGH is bringing the very best in medicine to life. And Brandon is living proof.
Meet Dave.
43 years old. A mechanic on a racing team.
A congenital birth defect left Dave with a tethered spinal cord. As his condition worsened with age, he was ultimately paralyzed from the waist down, with no feeling in his legs.
But thanks to the surgical team at BryanLGH West, a highly specialized microsurgery corrected Dave’s condition to allow him to regain the feeling in his legs. Today he can walk again with the aid of a walker and enjoy the cars at his favorite racetrack.
As Nebraska’s best-rated program for spine surgeries, and one of the top 5% in the nation*, the dedicated team at the Gogela Neuroscience Institute is achieving remarkable successes, bringing the very best in medicine to life.
Learn more about our Neuroscience Institute.
*2006 Health Grades
