For one young patient, spinal surgery offered a second chance at health
[5 min read]
In this article:
- Hudson Bangart was home from college when a sudden onset of mild neurological symptoms turned serious, affecting his balance and ability to walk.
- Experts at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute, led by Interim Medical Director Zachary Litvak, M.D., quickly diagnosed him with Chiari malformation, a rare structural defect in the brain and skull.
- Bangart says the successful surgery and experience taught him about life's fragility and gratitude for his health.
- Learn more about this remarkable young man and the exceptional care he recieved at Providence Swedish.
In June 2024, while home in Chelan on vacation from Arizona State University, Hudson Bangart (in photo above with his dad, Paeton) and a friend were building a deck when he felt a tingle in the back of his neck. The 20-year-old quickly brushed it off and got back to work.
“I didn’t think anything of it,” he says.
Later that day, Bangart sneezed and suddenly felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, accompanied by severe neck pain where that tingle had occurred. Bangart went to a nearby medical clinic, thinking that he had a slipped disk. He even had bloodwork done in case he had a viral infection. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary, so Bangart went home, convinced this would all eventually go away. Instead, his symptoms got progressively worse.
“My girlfriend went out of town, and I was watching her dog. I realized something was wrong when I began walking down her stairs. I was so wobbly and felt uncoordinated. I had to hold the railing. My legs felt so heavy,” Bangart says.
This was enough to prompt Bangart and his father, Paeton, to get in the car and drive an hour to Wenatchee. The doctor on call suggested a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan and, a few days later, Bangart received the results. He had congenital Chiari malformation, a structural defect in the brain and skull that occurs when the cerebellum — the part of the brain that controls balance — protrudes through the opening at the base of the skull and compresses the brainstem. The pressure on the brain and spinal cord were likely at the root of Bangart’s symptoms. Chiari malformations occur in about 1 in every 1,000 people in the United States.
Bangart’s MRI results were quickly sent to Swedish, where Zachary N. Litvack, M.D., interim executive medical director for Swedish Neuroscience Institute, confirmed the findings. Bangart said the news left him with mixed emotions, even if Dr. Litvack assured him the surgery was generally safe and effective.
“You’re going to cut my head open?” Bangart says, recalling his conversation with Dr. Litvack. “But he was so calm and level-headed. He explained everything. At first, it was sort of a relief that it wasn’t a brain tumor, and that I didn’t have cancer. But when he told me that I would be having surgery in two weeks, I started bawling.”
Two weeks later, Bangart traveled to Swedish’s Cherry Hill campus for surgery.
“It was a godsend that I got in as quick as I did at Swedish,” he says. Getting Bangart scheduled for surgery quickly was a priority for Dr. Litvack.
“In Hudson’s case, because his symptoms were rapidly progressing to the point of difficulty walking, I wanted to get this corrected as quickly as we could. The sooner we did this, the sooner he could recover, go back to school, and be active again,” Dr. Litvack says.
Bangart’s surgery consisted of enlarging the opening at the base of the skull and removing a portion of the first cervical vertebra where the brain stem connected to the spinal cord. Dr. Litvack then sewed a graft of Bangart’s own tissue to expand the space available and decompress his brainstem.
“I’d like to think I’m so smart, which is why my brain is so big,” Bangart jokes.
He recalls the first day post-operation was “brutal.” “I had sutures on the back of my head, and once the pain meds wore off, the pain was really bad. I had to keep an ice pack on my neck. My neck was so stiff.” By the third day of his stay, Bangart was able to take a long walk at the hospital. Thanks to the compassionate care he received, he always felt he was in good hands. His father, who shares his gratitude for the care team, agrees.
“Dr. Litvack was wonderful. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. His calm demeanor, his whole approach, that meant everything,” Paeton Bangart says. “I can’t say enough about our experience and how we were taken care of, from the moment we walked in to post-op. The whole experience couldn’t have been better.”
Bangart took online classes at Arizona State University the first semester of the 2024–25 school year. By January 2025, he was back on campus, taking classes in person again. Before doing so, Bangart got a hole-in-one golfing with his father in Phoenix. Life is, he says, normal.
Considering what he’s been through, normal suits Bangart just fine.
“People go their entire lives taking things for granted. I will not take the second life that I have now for granted,” Bangart says. “I remember when I was in the middle of all of this that I would have paid any amount of money to just be healthy again. I feel like this is my second chance. I’m super grateful. It taught me a lot, like how life is so fragile.”
Find a physician or advanced practice clinician (APC)
Our experts at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute offer comprehensive, progressive diagnosis and treatment for a wide range of spine, brain and central nervous system conditions. Telehealth options are available. Visit us on the web or call 206-320-3940. You can also use our provider directory to find the doctor that’s right for you.
Swedish Virtual Care connects you face-to-face with a nurse practitioner who can review your symptoms, provide instruction, and follow up as needed. If you need to find a provider, you can use our provider directory.
About the Swedish Foundation
Your generous gift helps support a healthy tomorrow for everyone in every community we serve. Learn about more ways to give to the Swedish Foundation or make a direct donation online at swedishfoundation.org. You can also contact the Foundation at 206-368-2738 or email foundation@swedish.org. Thank you for helping us shape the future of healthcare. We can’t do it without you.
Information for patients and visitors
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This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your health care professional’s instructions.
