Radio host makes airwaves with stroke – and complete recovery

June 25th, 2024 by Reza J. Karimi, MD

Today, Marisol Vargas is the mother of a vivacious 2½-year-old. But in 2019, she ended up permanently on a daily baby aspirin regimen after suffering a stroke that brought her to from one medical center to Hackensack University Medical Center by helicopter. Her carotid artery was completely blocked, which can lead to potentially devastating stroke even in young patient.

There, she had a special brain scan from Hackensack Meridian Neuroscience Institute neurosurgeon Reza Karimi, M.D., who was then able to treat her through non-invasive means. After a week in the hospital under his care, she made a complete recovery – and was able to later become mother to daughter Isabella.

But the Sirius XM radio host and Telemundo personality has advice for others who also may initially dismiss symptoms like headaches and blurry vision.

“I tell everyone to listen to your body, which I didn’t do … Your body is telling you to slow down or get checked out,” she said. “(This whole experience) makes me not want to waste my time.”

Read more about Marisol Vargas’s stroke and recovery from the original article at Hackensack Meridian Health’s HealthyU magazine.

NJBS Wins Awards

At New Jersey Brain and Spine, we are thrilled to announce that Castle Connolly has recognized us as the #1 Neurosurgery practice in New Jersey, and #5 Nationally for the second consecutive year. This recognition is a testament to our team's unwavering dedication and unparalleled expertise. This prestigious honor reflects not only the quality of care we provide but also our commitment to improving the lives of our patients through innovative treatments and compassionate service. What is the Castle Connolly...

Road to Recovery: Surgical and Non-Surgical Approaches for Meningioma Treatment

What is a Meningioma? A meningioma is a tumor that arises from the meninges — the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. Although not technically a brain tumor, it is included in this category because it may compress or squeeze the adjacent brain, spinal cord, nerves and vessels. There are several types and grades of Meningioma. Meningiomas are the most common type of primary brain tumor, accounting for approximately 30 percent of all brain tumors. Most meningiomas grow...

Unraveling the Enigma: Understanding Schwannoma and Its Impact on Nerves

A schwannoma is a type of tumor that develops from Schwann cells in a person’s peripheral nervous system or nerve roots. It is sometimes also called a neuroma. Schwann cells assist the conduction of nerve signals. They wrap around peripheral nerves and provide protection and support. The body’s peripheral nervous system includes nerves that travel from your spinal cord and brain to carry signals to and from the rest of your body. Schwannomas can often appear in nerves that enable sensations...

Exercises and Stretches for Sciatica Relief

If you’re suffering from sciatica, there’s good news: Exercises and stretches are a viable route to sciatica relief. Sciatica is an extremely common condition, affecting about 40% of Americans at some point in their lives. Although sometimes sciatica improves on its own without significant intervention, it’s important for patients to know that there are ways to address challenging symptoms. What is Sciatica? Sciatica is pain from damage to or pressure on the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is actually the...

Laminectomy vs. Laminotomy: What’s the Difference

Laminotomy and laminectomy are types of surgeries to remove part or most of a spinal bone called the lamina. The lamina is the back part of each vertebra (spinal bone) and covers the spinal canal, the area around the spinal cord. Both procedures reduce pressure on the spinal cord or spinal nerves to relieve pain. What’s the Difference? The difference between these two different procedures is significant. A laminectomy refers to a surgical operation that totally removes the lamina. On...

Dr Roy Vingan New Jersey Brain and Spine

Spinal Fusion Procedure Relieves Back Pain

Back pain. These are two words that can send a shiver down your spine (no pun intended). Back pain is a ubiquitous problem that plagues people globally and may originate from an array of causes, including poor posture, heavy lifting, injury, or underlying health conditions like osteoporosis, scoliosis, and herniated discs. Data from 2019 reveals that approximately 39% of adults had experienced back pain within the past three months. With almost four in every ten adults dealing with such back...

xvision marks the spot: Groundbreaking augmented reality technology makes surgeries easier, faster, and safer

Not all heroes wear capes – at New Jersey Brain & Spine, they have scrubs instead to go with their X-ray vision. What is the Surgical AR System? Neurosurgeons and practice co-founders Patrick A. Roth, MD, and Roy D. Vingan, MD, have joined an elite group of U.S. physicians to use new augmented reality (AR) technology, making them the first in the Garden State to offer more accurate and personalized implant placement. The FDA-cleared Augmedics xvision Spine System is the...

New Jersey Brain and Spine Neurosurgeons Become First Physicians in New Jersey to Use New Augmented Reality Technology

Augmented reality headset gives surgeons "x-ray vision" during procedures for accurate and personalized implant placement while keeping their eyes on their patients HACKENSACK, N.J., July 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- New Jersey Brain and Spine (NJBS) is now offering a new standard of advanced spine surgery to patients state-wide. Two NJBS surgeons have recently become New Jersey's first physicians to successfully treat patients with new technology, which allows surgeons to see anatomy as if they have "x-ray vision." In December 2023, Patrick A. Roth, MD, and Roy D. Vingan, MD,...

Practice pioneers new aneurysm technology for riskiest brain aneurysms

Not all brain aneurysms are the same. Nor are all surgeons and practices. Out of over 1,000 neurological medical centers in the country, the vascular neurosurgery team at New Jersey Brain and Spine was selected to participate in the Citadel embolization device study. The minimally invasive approach for brain aneurysms varies from a more common coil treatment to one that’s more like a ribbon shape. A coil treatment for a brain aneurysm is a minimally invasive procedure that blocks blood...