Natalie B. spent nearly her entire life trapped in a medical mystery. From childhood, she was plagued by debilitating migraines, fainting spells and seizure-like episodes. By high school, her condition had worsened — numbness in her legs confined her to a wheelchair and her senses began to fade.
Over the years, Natalie and her family visited 22 different specialists. Despite countless tests and inconclusive results, no one could offer a solution.
That all changed when Natalie found her way to the Bob Bové Neuroscience Institute at HonorHealth, where Peter Nakaji, MD, a leading neurosurgeon and member of the HonorHealth Medical Staff who specializes in tackling complex neurological conditions, spotted the cause.
Solving the mystery
Natalie arrived at the clinic in constant pain that she described as “nine out of 10.” Her symptoms were as varied as they were severe; including short-term memory loss, blurred vision, brain fog, and a strange soft spot at the back of her head that triggered an electric shock sensation when touched.
Dr. Nakaji, a professor of neurosurgery whose practice includes problems in blood vessels in the brain, had been researching rare disorders affecting the veins that drain blood from the brain. He suspected one of these conditions and ordered specialized tests. The results revealed a near-complete obstruction of Natalie’s jugular veins that was preventing blood from draining normally — in effect, it was like being strangled from within.
This condition is rare, little understood, and often overlooked by doctors. “Because this syndrome has only recently been recognized, many patients with this problem suffer for years without answers,” says Dr. Nakaji. “As a result, they are misdiagnosed, dismissed or treated ineffectively — often with irreversible consequences.”
The turning point
On March 12, 2025, Natalie underwent a complex decompression procedure performed by Dr. Nakaji at HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center. Using a groundbreaking surgical approach he helped pioneer, Dr. Nakaji released the pressure on Natalie’s brain. HonorHealth is the only one in the state that offers this innovative treatment.
The results were immediate and dramatic. Within hours, she stood and walked for the first time in months. Her headaches disappeared, her hearing and vision returned, and the seizure-like episodes and fainting spells stopped.
Just two weeks after surgery, Natalie reclaimed her independence. She returned to school in time for graduation day and received her high school diploma on her own two feet.
A future restored
Natalie describes her life now as transformed. “My body and head pain are much, much better and my feet no longer turn gray,” she says with a smile.
Thanks to the innovation and persistence of Dr. Nakaji, Natalie is walking into her future energized, with newfound clarity, freedom, and hope. He credits a team of dedicated researchers around the world who have banded together to understand venous disorders better, as well as the entire team at HonorHealth that makes these surgeries possible.
“The surgeon is just one member of a larger team. And making this happen comes after a lot of work by a lot of doctors and scientists to understand what to do,” says Dr. Nakaji. For him, the hard work is well worth it. “When we can restore dignity and function for people who’ve lost hope, we are really making a difference.”
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