SNI Blog

The Merrill P. Spencer, M.D. Endowed Lectureship was established in 2006 to honor the memory of Dr. Spencer who enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a physician, professor, researcher and innovator. Dr. Spencer earned an international reputation for his groundbreaking work with Doppler ultrasound technology and was a pioneer in stroke prevention. This lectureship, established by an initial gift from The Institute of Applied Physiology and Medicine, founded by Dr. Spencer in 1972, honors his belief in the importance of always searching for new answers and sharing those answers with others through continuing programs of medical education.

 
Merrill P. Spencer, M.D. (1922-2006)

This year, in conjunction with the 6th Annual Cerebrovascular Symposium, we are pleased to welcome Neal F. Kassell, M.D., a notable professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Virginia. He will be presenting "Transcranial Ultrasound Treatment Applications," about the use of a brand new technology called MR-guided focused ultrasound. It can be used for the treatment of neurological disorders, tumor ablation and stroke. Click here to register to attend the Spencer Lecture on May 17, 2012 (space is limited).

Video library of past Spencer Lecturers

Course brochure

Each year, thought leaders from around the world join their colleagues from Swedish Neuroscience Institute (SNI) as they present the latest advances in the management of cerebrovascular disease and stroke. This two-day course is held May 17-18 at the Swedish Cherry Hill campus in Seattle, WA, and includes faculty from Swedish Neuroscience Institute, Providence as well as guest speakers from around the country. 

In addition, each year we honor the memory of Dr. Merrill P. Spencer, M.D. through an annual lecture. Dr. Spencer enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a physician, professor, researcher and innovator. He earned an international reputation for his groundbreaking work with Doppler ultrasound technology and was a pioneer in stroke prevention. This year, we are pleased to welcome Neal F. Kassell, M.D., a notable professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Virginia.

A reception prior to the lecture is being held at the Swedish Cerebrovascular Center at the Swedish Cherry Hill campus. The reception and lecture are well-attended by the neuroscience community throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Register for the two-day conference
Register to attend the Merrill P. Spencer, M.D. Reception and Lecture (no charge)

You hear the diagnosis multiple sclerosis (MS) and your world stops. You don’t know what to think, who to tell, or what to do about your future.

In this video, four people living with MS tell their stories:

But even if you aren’t diagnosed with MS, here are some things you should know:

What is a brain aneurysm? What are warning signs and symptoms of an aneurysm? To answer these questions, we invite you to watch a video playlist dedicated to answering patient questions about this condition.

A brain aneurysm, also called a cerebral aneurysm, is a blister-like bulge in a weak part of a blood vessel in your brain. It can go unnoticed for a long time. In fact, 1-6 percent of Americans has an aneurysm they don’t know about. If left untreated, however, the pressure of the blood causes that area of wall of the blood vessel to become even weaker, which allows the aneurysm to grow. Eventually the aneurysm may burst, which causes a stroke.

This video playlist will answer the following questions:
What is a Cerebral Aneurysm?
What Causes Cerebral Aneurysms?
Warning Signs and Symptoms of Aneurysms
What are Aneurysm Treatments?
What is Aneurysm Clipping?
What is Aneurysm Coiling?
The Advantages of Choosing Swedish to Treat Aneurysms

Looking for a support group for patients who have had a brain aneurysm? The Swedish Cerebrovascular Support Group has its first monthly meeting on Monday, March 19. (Email swedishaneurysmsupport@swedish.org for more information.)

It is with great pleasure that I announce the beginning of the Swedish Cerebrovascular Support Group. Over the last several months, the care team here at Swedish has had many patients reach out and ask if a service like this was available. I am so glad that the answer is now yes!

Receiving a diagnosis like a cerebral aneurysm is for many a scary and stressful situation. Support groups are a fantastic way for people to alleviate fear and anxiety through discussion and education. These meetings will be a place to connect patients, family members, and caregivers together to share their experiences and advise with one another. The group is open to patients and family members of patients that have been diagnosed with or treated for a cerebral aneurysm or arteriovenous malformation (AVM).

Susanne Hartung of Providence Health & Services to present "Care of Our Inheritance" on Feburary 16

Caring for complex disorders involving blood vessels in the brain -- called cerebrovascular disease -- requires a unique combination of specialized facilities and highly skilled medical professionals.

The Swedish Cerebrovascular Center, which opened at the Swedish Cherry Hill campus in mid-December, is the only center in the Pacific Northwest that offers comprehensive, coordinated care for patients with brain blood vessel disorders. Our care team includes world-renowned neurosurgeons, neurologists, neuroendovascular specialists as well as a highly skilled nursing team who evaluate, treat and manage conditions such as:

• Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM): defects in the circulatory system affecting the brain or spinal cord
• Brain aneurysms: ruptured and unruptured
• Carotid stenosis: narrowing or blockage of the carotid arteries
• Moyamoya Disease: constricted arteries at the base of the brain
• Stroke: disturbance in blood flow to the brain due to a clot or a bleed
• Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA): also known as a “mini-stroke” or warning stroke
• Vascular tumors: benign or malignant growth formed from blood vessels

In September, I co-authored this cover article in the Journal of Neurosurgery on the results of a study using ultrasound for the treatment of brain hemorrhage. The study involved 33 patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage who were screened for inclusion in a SNI clinical study known as “SLEUTH” (Safety of Lysis with Ultrasound in the Treatment of Intracerebral and Intraventricular Hemorrhage). You can the abstract and full text of the article or see background information on the study, and watch a related video on WebMD.

If you’ve ever wanted to sit in the gallery of Grey’s Anatomy and watch a surgery, we have something for you that’s a little more powerful. On Friday, we invite you to tune in to a livestream of a procedure that changes patients’ lives.

On Friday, Dec. 16, 2011 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. (PST), Drs. Ron Young and Ryder Gwinn, surgeons from the Swedish Neuroscience Institute, will host a livestream on this page to discuss the affects of Essential Tremor (ET), the Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgical procedure used to treat ET and the other innovative treatment options for ET available at Swedish and throughout the country.

ET is a progressive neurological condition that causes a rhythmic trembling of the hands, head, voice, legs or trunk. It is often confused with Parkinson’s disease and is often un-diagnosed.

The livestream will feature a video stream of a recorded DBS surgical procedure performed at Swedish, accompanied by a live web chat led by Drs. Young and Gwinn. The DBS device is like a pacemaker for the brain. During the surgery, a tiny wire is implanted in the area of the brain that controls abnormal movement. This wire modifies the brain’s electrical signals to help control tremors and other abnormal movements.

It gets better

Not only will you have a front seat (from the comfort of home or wherever your mobile device is) to see a life-changing surgical procedure, but you can also ask questions live to our surgeons about the surgery, essential tremor, and any other related questions you may have (like what is Gamma Knife?). And, we’ll have patients who will share their stories about the procedure and how it has changed their lives – for the better.

Tune in on Friday

You can watch the livestream ...

Hopefully, you won't have a stroke. But if you do, do you know what to do? Why is it important that you get to an emergency room quickly? Knowing the signs and symptoms of stroke could help save your life or the life of a loved one. How do you lessen your risk of having another stroke? Is your family at increased risk? Dr. William Likosky, director of Swedish Stroke and Telestroke programs, explains.

(Click here to see the entire playlist and other questions answered about stroke, including why follow up care is so important.)