Patient Stories

The University of Washington's Department of Neurological Surgery has acheived national recognition. But the most important accolades are the thanks we receive from our patients.

The following stories provide a personal glimpse into the lives of the patients whose lives we work to improve, and demonstrate why our program is so highly respected.

Lisa Abbot's Story

Lisa Abbot was sent to Harborview for emergency, life-saving treatment by its world-renowned neurosurgeons. Her surgical team was led by Dr. Laligam Sekhar, vice chairman of Neurological Surgery and a UW professor of Neurological Surgery. By the time she arrived at Harborview, she was in a coma . . .

• Read Lisa's Story

Naomi Ishisaka's Story

Naomi Ishisaka knows that getting to the heart of a story takes time and research. The 35-year-old journalist has worked for papers throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Ishisaka’s talent for getting to the real story served her well in September 2009, when she found herself writing the first installments of Naomi’s Noggin: My Meningioma and its Demise, a blog she created after being diagnosed with a brain tumor . . .

• Read Naomi's Story