Claudia Bressie’s tumor was non-cancerous, but it was aggressive and dangerous. Months of consultations at top universities and treatments proved ineffective for the San Francisco woman, until her journey brought her to UAMS. It began in 2017 when Bressie started having swelling, popping and clicking around her jaw. The discomfort grew from there to what…

UAMS Medical Center is the first hospital in Arkansas to operate with the ExcelsiusGPS robotic spine navigation system that helps improve accuracy and reduce the invasiveness of spinal surgery. Both the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Department of Neurosurgery use the new spine robot for patients needing spine surgery. Noojan Kazemi, M.D., an associate professor…

Matthew Koshinski believes the car crash he was in two years ago saved his life. On the morning of Sept. 11, 2018, he wasn’t feeling his best. But the 22-year-old supervisor at UPS went in to work anyway. “I didn’t think much of it. I just thought I’d push through it.” He ended up leaving…

About 45 health care professionals and patients met Nov. 16 to discuss the latest advances in the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy and seizure disorders at Arkansas’ first Epilepsy Symposium at UAMS. Epilepsy is a common and serious neurological condition that affects over 50 million people worldwide. Epilepsy specialist and UAMS neurosurgeon Viktoras Palys, M.D….

Two years ago, James Calhoun was out of work, his neck twisting painfully to one side because of a neurological condition called dystonia. Today, he’s working in health care, finishing up an associate’s degree and applying to nursing school — his life back on track. Calhoun, 35, of Sherwood has been living with uncontrollable muscle…

LITTLE ROCK — Interventional pain management specialist Bhawna Jha, M.D., has joined the Department of Neurology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and sees patients in the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute. She also is an assistant professor in UAMS College of Medicine Department of Neurology.   Before coming to…

Erika Petersen, M.D., a neurosurgeon and researcher at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), has been named the lead investigator for a major national clinical trial exploring a unique treatment for a painful chronic diabetic foot condition. The trial will test whether high frequency spinal cord stimulation is an effective treatment for painful…

Erika Petersen, M.D., a neurosurgeon at UAMS, has received the inaugural Clinical Excellence Award from the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience for her work to advance the treatment of pain. “Dr. Peterson’s recent achievements in research, education and clinical care made her an overwhelmingly unanimous choice,” said Dawood Sayed, M.D., president of the American…

Six months after a fall left him severely injured, Dewey Raper, 65, was not healing as quickly as he thought he would. “I spent so much time in a wheelchair, a walker and on crutches,” Raper said. “Eventually, I got an MRI. Dr. Radvany viewed it and took the case over.” Martin Radvany, M.D., is…

Barrett McAlister hopes an ongoing clinical trial at UAMS can help establish a new treatment for Tourette syndrome in children so they can focus on being kids, playing and learning, without worrying about being “different.” “If they’ve got a chance at a normal life, I say take it,” McAlister said. “Take it with both hands.”…