When Herlean Howard, 67, was having breathing problems and trouble remembering what had hapepned the night before, she knew she needed to get to Jersey Shore University Medical Center.
In the past, the Asbury Park woman had noticed labored breathing getting up from and lying down in bed, but this time it was more intense -- and coupled with a severe headache.
Tests in the emergency department revealed a brain aneurysm, in which an artery in the brain weakens and is in danger of rupturing. This condition can lead to a stroke and is often fatal.
David Wells-Roth, M.D., a neurosurgeon with specialized training in endovascular procedures, knew he needed to operate right away to eliminate blood flow to the area and prevent a stroke.
Herlean didn't fully understand the issue at first, but she says the surgeon took his time explaining the situation to her and her daughter." Dr. Wells-Roth told me he could help me. He kept me calm," she recalls. "He told me you don't give up when something goes wrong. You get it fixed. He told me he could do this, and he sure did."
To eliminate the aneurysm Dr. Wells-Roth performed an endovascular coiling procedure that fewer than 75 neurosurgeons in the country can do. He is part of the experienced team at the Stroke Rescue Center at Jersey Shore, which has this ability.
"We use a coil device that is released into the aneurysm with the guidance of a catheter. The catheter is inserted through an artery in the leg and advanced into the brain," Dr. Wells-Roth explains. "The coils can stop the blood flow pattern within the aneurysm and create a clot that prevents bleeding from reoccuring."
Herlean's surgery was successful and much less painful than she anticipated. "I expected a bandage around my head and all kinds of pain," she says. "but I just had a slight headache."
Herlean stayed in the hospital for 11 days, followed by home care from a nurse for several days. But she was quickly back to everyday life, including walking and shopping. "Before the surgery, I was often forgetting things, like knowing where I'd put my keys," she says. "But now I'm remembering again."
About the Doctor
David Wells-Roth, M.D.
Neurosurgery
Neptune | 973-285-7800
