Latest News

6.17.19

Dr. Arthur works to get FDA approval on a new product to prevent strokes

Dr. Adam Arthur is on a mission to get FDA approval for a new procedure that can prevent stroke-causing ruptures in the brain.

“In Memphis, we are right in the middle of what we call the stoke belt,” Arthur said. “I really think it’s great we are doing things to reduce the risk and morbidity of patients who are at risk of stroke.”

In 2018, Arthur was beginning a clinical trial of a new product so AVF patients can potentially have a way of stopping a leak before it causes a stroke - AVFs are found in the dura mater around the brain. The new product is called PHIL Liquid Embolic System, or PHIL for short, which stands for Precipitating Hydrophobic Injectable Liquid. The substance was invented in California by Microvention-Terumo Inc. and has been tested at the Medical Education & Research Institute (MERI), across the street from Methodist University Hospital.

Instead of cranial surgery, PHIL is a paste-like substance that can block or close the AVF using catheterization, or a long thin tube that is inserted in a vein and threaded through to the affected blood vessel. The products on the market today require surgeons to mix the vessel-filling paste with iodine, which can leak out over time creating an artifact, or shine, on future CT scans and MRI images. Iodine is bonded onto the chemical backbone used in PHIL, so it is less likely to leak and visible to the surgeon at the time of injection using X-ray guidance.

The first patient in Tenessee received the new procedure in December 2018. Dr. Arthur is hopeful that this new product will receive FDA approval in the coming years.

This is a summary from The Daily Memphian. Read the full article here.

6.12.19

Our role as a physician team is to collaborate with the patient to come up with the best individualized management plan

At Semmes Murphey, we are always looking for ways to personalize treatment to what best suits the particular patient.

We have been proud to partner with Katie Stamps and are inspired by her ongoing resilience and positive attitude for the past 11 years. After her initial diagnosis in 2007 at the age of 25, she has continued to grow and thrive in her life and with her family, working and not letting diagnosis slow her down. But the reoccurrence of lesions in her brain every few years was getting in the way of that beautiful life.

Collaborating with her and a Memphis-based team of experts, we were able to facilitate an innovative FDA-approved treatment that specifically helps slow down or stop cancer cells from dividing, helping prevent regrowth. Called Optune, this wearable portable device delivers continuous low-intensity electric fields, known as Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) which help target the cancerous cells without harming the healthy cells nearby.

As Dr. Michael states in the article, "Our role as a physician team is to collaborate with the patient to come up with the best individualized management plan for them. Katie has been the perfect partner in this process. She asks the tough questions, she listens to our multidisciplinary input, and we all agree on a path to move forward."

Partnering with West Cancer Center, Semmes Murphey has been providing ongoing support to Katie in her health journey.

Congratulations to Our Top Doctors of 2019

Let this year’s list of Top Doctors be your first resource should you need care, whether it’s back pain or something more serious. These specialists have been chosen among peers as the best in their field. Put your health in their hands.

Congratulations to these Semmes Murphey physicians for being awarded Top Doctors of 2019 in the field of interventional pain management, neurology, and neurosurgery.

Kenan Arnautovic, MD, Ph.D., FAANS, FACS
Special Interests: Micro-neurosurgery (skull base, vascular, tumor, Chiari, peripheral nerves), complex spinal surgery instrumentation, microsurgical anatomy,neuro-navigation
Board Certifications: American Board of Neurological Surgery (ABNS) 2005
Education: the University of Sarajevo, University Clinical Center in Sarajevo, University of Arkansas
Memberships: American College of Surgeons, American Association of Neurological Surgery, Congress of Neurological Surgeons
Hobbies: Soccer, Snow skiing, Memphis Grizzlies

Adam Arthur, MD, MPH, FACS
Special Interests: Multidisciplinary advanced fellowship training programs in vascular neurosurgery, neurosurgery and catheter-based endovascular neurosurgery, research to improve outcomes for stroke and aneurysm patients
Board Certifications: American Board of Neurological Surgery (ABNS) 2005
Education: BA and MD- University of Virginia, MPH- University of Utah
Memberships: American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Society of Neurointerventional Surgery, Congress of Neurological Surgeons
Hobbies: Family, snowboarding, racquetball

Frederick A. Boop, MD
Special Interests: Pediatric neurosurgery, surgery for epilepsy and brain tumors
Board Certifications: American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery
Education: the University of Arkansas, University of Texas, University of Minnesota
Memberships: American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons and the International Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons

Lucas Elijovich, MD
Special Interests:  Brain aneurysms, acute ischemic stroke, pediatric intracranial vascular malformations
Board Certifications:  Neurology, Vascular and Critical Care Neurology, Neurointerventional Surgery
Education: Tufts University in Massachusetts, BS; the University of Texas in Galveston, MD; New York University, Residency
Memberships:  American Heart Association Society of Neurointerventional Surgery – Senior Member Neurocritical Care Society
Fellowships:  University of California San Francisco, Roosevelt Hospital, New York, New York

Kevin T. Foley, MD, FAANS

Special Interests: Minimally invasive spine surgery, surgery for ruptured discs or stenosis in neck or back, spinal fusion surgery
Board Certifications: Neurological Surgery (Surgery of Brain and Spine)
Education: the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) – Medical School and Neurosurgery Residency

Memberships: American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), American Academy of Neurological Surgery, North American Spine Society

Daniel Hoit, MD, MPH, FAANS

Special Interests: Brain aneurysms, cerebrovascular neurosurgery, endovascular neurology
Board Certifications: American Board of Neurological Surgery (ABNS)
Education: Johns Hopkins, Yale, Tufts New England Medical Center

Memberships: American Association of Neurosurgical Surgeons, Society of Neurointerventional Surgery, Congress of Neurological Surgeons
Hobbies: Vintage film, motorsports, rock collecting

Paul Klimo, JR., MD, MPH

Special Interests: Pediatric neurosurgery, adult brain tumors, adult hydrocephalus, moyamoya disease
Board Certifications: American Board of Neurological Surgery, American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery
Education: Simon Fraser University (premed), Medical College of Wisconsin (medical school), University of Utah (residency), Children’s Hospital Boston/Harvard University (pediatric fellowship)

Memberships: American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgery (ASPN), American Academy of Neurological Surgery, American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Surgeons
Additional Information: Dr. Klimo has prior military duty with United States Air Force (1995-2010), honorable discharge

Vishad Kumar, MD

Special Interests: Management of deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy for Parkinson’s disease and essential tremors. Caring for adult patients with migraines, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis
Board Certifications: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
Education: King George’s Medical College at Lucknow University, University of Tennessee

Memberships: American Academy of Neurology (AAN) American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) USA
Hobbies: Natural photography, traveling, and reading

Autry Parker, MD

Special Interests: Spinal stimulation for chronic pain, regenerative and biological disc therapy, complex interventional therapy
Board Certifications: American Board of Anesthesiology, American Board of Pain Medicine
Education: Yale School of Medicine, MD; Yale School of Public Health, MPH

Fellowship: Johns Hopkins Hospital
Hobbies: Bass guitarist for Memphis Soul Remedy and Copacetic901

Search all Top Doctors Here!

5.24.19

West Cancer Center & Semmes Murphey Partner to Develop a New, Noninvasive Alternative for Cancer Patients

West Cancer Center & Research Institute and Semmes Murphey Clinic have partnered together to advance a new and noninvasive procedure for treating brain tumor, trigeminal neuralgia, and meningioma patients with Gamma Radiosurgery, also known as Cranial Stereotactic Radiosurgery.

Cranial Stereotactic Radiosurgery is administered on a radiation machine called a MASEP Infini®, and Memphis is home to one of only two in the United States (located at Methodist University Hospital with Radiosurgical Center of Memphis).

It is an extremely effective, comfortable, and safe procedure. There is no incision and patients do not need their head shaved. Cranial Stereotactic Radiosurgery focuses tiny beams of radiation on a specific target within the brain, without damaging surrounding healthy tissue. The treatment is usually a one-time therapy completed in a single day.

Semmes Murphey neurosurgeon, Dr. Jeffery Sorenson, was among the team who administered the first Cranial Stereotactic Radiosurgery treatment in the Mid-South.

"Our first treatment went really well. The treatment took a fraction of the time that the older technology we were previously using took. The MASEP Infini® system will also allow for more advanced pre-treatment collaboration between the surgeon and radiation oncologist for complex cases. We are at the beginning of a new era for radiosurgery." - Dr. Jeffery Sorenson

The collaboration between the West Cancer Center & Research Institute and Semmes Murphey Clinic is at the forefront of researching and developing new technology for stereotactic radiation therapies. According to Dr. Matthew Ballo, Director of Radiation Oncology at West Cancer Center & Research Institute, "Our goal is to further develop the Cranial Stereotactic Radiosurgery procedure using a MASEP Infini® to then distribute this technology and our knowledge to other areas of the country to offer a new therapy option to cancer patients."

To learn more about Cranial Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Radiosurgical Center of Memphis, visit their website here.

Source article from CISION PR Newswire

5.24.19

Dr. Michael Removes Brain Tumor through Minimally Invasive Technique

Michael Beckman underwent brain surgery in November of 2018 to have a benign tumor removed from his pituitary gland. The tumor was discovered by Beckman's primary care doctor when he went in for dizziness. Beckman was then referred to Dr. Madison Michael and ENT Dr. Sanjeet Rangarajan to start plans of getting the tumor removed.

With the location and size of Bekman's tumor, Dr. Michael knew he was a great candidate for the endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA), a modern surgical technique used to remove brain tumors through the nose. This technique is minimally invasive where, traditionally, brain tumors are removed through an incision on the scalp or forehead and leads to a longer recovery.

The EEA technique is now the standard of care here at Semmes Murphey and Methodist University Hospital, where Beckman's surgery took place. The surgery lasted about five hours and Michael Beckman was able to return to home the next day. He was extremely grateful to be able to go home so quickly.

“The evolution of this technique has all been dependent on a multidisciplinary approach. Working together with an ENT makes this extremely safe and extremely effective.” - Dr. Madison Michael

When the EEA procedure was new, cerebral spinal fluid leaks were not uncommon, causing headaches and affecting sense of smell, vision and hearing for patients. Since Rangarajan and Michael began working together over the past year, their leak rate is 0%.

This is a summary taken from the Daily Memphian. Read the full article here!

5.14.19

Lucas' Story

In October of 2018, Dr. Anthony Sheyn of Le Bonheur Children's Hospital received an email from a St. Jude colleague saying that a 10-year-old boy in Peru had been diagnosed with an aggressive Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma. The tumor extended into his skull and optic nerve. Although the tumor was aggressive and lethal, it was not cancerous so St. Jude couldn’t accept the case. The tumor was one of the largest that Dr. Sheyn and his colleagues had ever seen, and they felt confident they could safely remove it.

They took the case to Meri Armour, Le Bonheur Hospital president, who agreed to do the case pro-bono, providing they could find a local sponsor to cover food and transportation. All of the physician groups, including Semmes Murphey Clinic, Pediatric Anesthesiologists and University Clinical Health, agreed to do their part pro-bono as well. After casting a very wide net, a local church agreed to sponsor the patient, Lucas, and soon after, travel arrangements, multiple clinic appointments, and many details began to fall into place.

On November 2, Lucas and his mom, Paola, arrived in Memphis. During the course of his two-month stay, Lucas had three surgeries. The first surgery was performed at Methodist University Hospital by Drs. Lucas Elijovich and Sanjeet Rangarajan for a 10-hour embolization. After surgery, PediFlite transported him intubated and sedated to the Neuro ICU at Le Bonheur. The other two surgeries were coordinated and performed at Le Bonheur by Alyson and Mary Cline, Drs. Rangarajan, Sheyn, Madison Michael, and Paul Klimo. After many hours, the team successfully removed the entire tumor.

So many Semmes Murphey, Methodist, and Le Bonheur associates went above and beyond to help this precious family. Semmes Murphey is proud to have so many partners in the Memphis area who are just as passionate as saving lives and improving quality of life for patients as we are.

5.3.19

Bike Safety from our Physical Therapists

May is National Bike Month and we are excited to continue our partnership with Explore Bike Share!

We encourage you to get out and ride and explore our city but before you do, take these bike safety tips provided by a few of Semmes Murphey's physical therapists.

Benefits of Cycling:

Cycling helps increase your body’s stamina and gives a boost to the endurance capacity of a person. Energy levels get higher, resulting in enthusiasm at work and generally higher energy for all normal activities. It opens options for other kinds of exercises and fitness activities.

Cycling is an excellent exercise for burning calories. A person cycling with a speed of 10 mph burns approximately 300 calories in an hour. Cycling strengthens the muscles in the core, thighs, buttocks, and arms. Regularly working these muscles helps improve your body’s composition.

Other than the physical health benefits, there are social and mental health benefits that make cycling an enjoyable activity as well. Research has shown that participating in any kind of sport can reduce stress, but in some cases, playing sports might not be possible. Instead, one can spend time riding a bicycle, which is also equally beneficial in reducing stress and depression. Cycling has been shown to help with pain management. It is considered as a “releasing” exercise. Releasing exercises play a very important role in alleviating physiological and psychological issues like stress, tension, and pain. Cycling is a widely accepted pain-reduction strategy.

"It is important to vary your hand and body position frequently. This changes the angle of your back, hips, neck and arms, so that different muscles and joints are stressed . Keep your arms relaxed and don’t lock your elbows. This will help you absorb bumps better." Ben Graves, PT

Injury Prevention

Cyclists can help prevent overuse injuries by:

Having their bike fit appropriately for their body
Maintaining a pedal cadence of 88–95 rpm (revolutions per minute) or higher
Maximizing pedal stroke to optimize the muscular balance
Using a clipless pedal position that mimics the alignment of the foot when it is dangling off of a table when in a sitting position
Maintaining hip and low back strength and flexibility

"Always wear a helmet EVERY time you ride a bike to protect your head. One fall could result in a head injury." Kathryn Berry, PT

Common Causes of Knee Pain in Cyclists

Medial pain is located on the inside of the knee due to friction between the knee cap and thigh bone. This pain may be associated with riding with a seat that is too low or having a pedaling cadence that is too slow. Decreased hip flexibility can also be associated with inner knee pain.

Lateral pain is located on the outside of the knee and be due to the friction of the Iliotibial band over the fat pad or bone of the femur. This pain may be associated with inappropriate cleat and pedal position, the inappropriate position of the bike seat, leg length discrepancy and/or improper ankle position while riding.

Anterior pain is located directly in front of the knee due to excessive compression forces between the knee cap and thigh bone. This pain may be associated with a seat that is too low, too far forward and/or riding with a low pedal cadence

"Bicyclists should follow the rules of the road which includes yielding to pedestrians." Caroline Daniel

4.17.19

Congratulations to Dr. Kevin Foley for being awarded the Cushing Award for Technical Excellence and Innovation in Neurosurgery

Dr. Kevin Foley was just awarded the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Cushing Award for Technical Excellence and Innovation in Neurosurgery at the AANS annual meeting in April.

Kevin Foley, MD, FAANS, is a tenured professor of neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery and biomedical engineering at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tenn. He is the chairman of the board of Semmes Murphey Clinic, director of the spine fellowship program for the University of Tennessee Department of Neurosurgery and chairman of the board and medical director for the Medical Education & Research Institute. In addition to a full-time spine surgery practice, he is actively involved in medical device development and research in minimally invasive spine surgery, disc regeneration and clinical outcomes.

Dr. Foley has been granted more than 150 patents by the USPTO and invented many of the tools and techniques (tubular retractors, percutaneous pedicle screws with removable extenders) that have enabled modern minimally invasive spine surgery.

We are proud to call Dr. Foley one of our own!

Dr. Foley receiving his award at the AANS conference

4.3.19

Get Back in Gear at the Semmes Murphey Bike Station

Did you know that the Semmes Murphey Explore Bike Share station on the Memphis side of Big River Crossing, the pedestrian/bike trail on the Harahan Bridge across the Mississippi River, is the most-used in the citywide system? Read more at The Daily Memphian.

Semmes Murphey is proud to be a part of this program that provides interconnectivity in our city and encourages the community to exercise and have healthy lifestyles. The bike share program is easy, affordable, and accessible with a 24-hour day pass for $5 and a monthly membership for $15.

Be sure to check out our station and get back in gear with us as we ride throughout Memphis!

4.2.19

Interventional Pain Management at Semmes Murphey

Interventional pain management is the medical practice of alleviating as much pain as possible for patients. Our interventional pain team consists of Dr. Autry Parker, Dr. Samuel C. Polk III, and Dr. Jay McDonald. They work together to develop the best possible treatment approach to make their patients better, rather than just covering up their issues through medication.

They believe it's about seeing each patient as a whole person. First, the doctors will determine where the pain is coming from and then intervene by creating treatment plans that can include an exercise program through physical therapy, anti-inflammatories, nerve blocks, spinal cord stimulation, and more.

Semmes Murphey has world-renowned physicians with years of experience who work together as a team to determine a patient's problem. Through the in-house care at Semmes Murphey, patients can get all the treatment they need in a world-class facility.

To learn more about what procedures Semmes Murphey Clinic can offer you:

Watch our interventional pain management video

Semmes Murphey