Brain surgery for Chiari malformation gives woman her life back
02/09/2026
A Chiari malformation caused Lisa Carmignanimiller life-altering symptoms for years. She finally had relief after brain surgery at Danbury Hospital and is now walking, remembering and smiling again.
Lisa Carmignanimiller, 60, from Danbury, Connecticut, experienced strange symptoms for years. What she thought might be long-Covid symptoms were deteriorating her health.
She began to lose grip strength in her hands and found herself dropping things. She was falling more often, struggling with balance and dealing with intense headaches.
“It felt like my brain was going to pop out of my head from the headaches,” Lisa said.
She also developed vertigo and noticed changes in her vision.
As the months went on, the symptoms became harder to ignore. Lisa felt pins and needles in her arms and legs, and her balance grew so poor that she relied on a walker and then a wheelchair. She developed memory issues, brain fog and depression.
“I felt like every part of my mind and body was affected,” Lisa said.
Eventually, Lisa had to stop working. Then, she was hospitalized at Danbury Hospital for her chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). She was also having difficulty swallowing and urinating — signs something serious might be going on.
Related content: Still here: Living well with COPD, one breath and moment at a time
A surprising Chiari malformation diagnosis and a clear plan for brain surgery
During her hospital stay, imaging revealed the root cause: a Chiari malformation. Her brain was putting pressure on the bottom of her skull and spine, which was causing widespread neurological symptoms.
“The best way to describe a Chiari malformation is that the brain is too big for the head,” explained Dr. Scott Sanderson, chief of neurosurgery at Danbury Hospital, now part of Northwell Health. “Lisa’s brain was pushing through the bottom of her skull and squishing the brain stem and spinal cord.
“Lisa had a severe compression of nearby structures in the brain and spinal cord nerves, which explained her symptoms,” he continued. “She was barely able to walk and had swelling at the base of the brain stem. Lisa needed surgery to make room for her brain in her skull.”
Dr. Sanderson met with Lisa and her husband, Dennis, to walk them through the surgical plan.
“I was not as nervous as I thought I would be because I was so confident in Dr. Sanderson and had heard great things about him,” Lisa said.
“I also researched Dr. Sanderson and found he was a very capable surgeon,” Dennis added.
Learn more about Dr. Sanderson in this video.
Brain surgery and recovery from a Chiari malformation at Danbury Hospital
On August 5, 2025, Lisa underwent a nearly six-hour surgery with Dr. Sanderson at Danbury Hospital. He removed a piece of Lisa’s skull and opened the dura, the thick membrane around the brain, because it was too tight. He then patched it with fascia from Lisa’s thigh to give the brain more room. Fascia is connective tissue that holds organs, blood vessels, bones, nerve fibers and muscles in place.
Despite the complexity of the surgery, Lisa had a smooth recovery. She spent one day in the intensive care unit (ICU), followed by several days in inpatient rehabilitation at Danbury Hospital. Just eight days after surgery, she went home.
“My recovery after surgery was amazing,” Lisa said. “Dr. Brian Riordan and the rehab nurses were excellent. Physical therapist Sal was a sweetheart. He was very caring, always kept my hopes up and put a smile on my face.”
Lisa also had cognitive therapy to help with memory and focus, and the lighthearted atmosphere of her care team lifted her spirits.
She was especially touched that her respiratory and pulmonary teams, including Dr. John Chronakos and Dr. Dmitriy Golovyan, visited her after surgery.
“They really are a beautiful team,” she said.
Images of Lisa’s brain before and after surgery. The first image shows how the brain was squished from the Chiari malformation.
A remarkable turnaround after brain surgery for a Chiari malformation
Before surgery, Dennis had to help Lisa walk into the hospital. Today, she’s walking on her own again.
“I couldn’t believe it when Lisa started walking; it brought tears to my eyes,” Dennis said. “Lisa remembers everything, so it was especially worrisome when her memory was affected. But it’s all coming back to her now.”
Lisa’s symptoms, including nerve damage, balance problems, memory issues and mood changes, have gradually improved.
“Lisa’s recovery is better than expected, considering the extent of the pressure the brain was putting on her nerves and arteries,” Dr. Sanderson said. “The squished structures needed to time heal. It’s like a rock sitting on a garden hose for years. When you take the rock off, it could take the hose a while to unkink.”
Dennis was equally moved by the transformation: “Dr. Sanderson is a phenomenal doctor. Lisa just keeps getting better and stronger. It’s remarkable. I can’t praise him enough.”
Finding hope, encouraging others with neurological conditions
Lisa was “elated” to share her experience and hopes it will help others who are dealing with neurological symptoms.
“Time is precious; please don’t spend it suffering,” Lisa said. “Don’t ignore symptoms. Find doctors you trust and get checked out.”
For anyone going through something similar, she wants you to know: “You’re not alone. It felt like everything in my body was affected by the Chiari malformation. But my progress has been incredible, and I get better every day.”
Her advice: “Educate yourself, have hope and listen to your doctors.”
Lisa is especially grateful to Dennis, who was by her side throughout her journey.
“Dennis was with me the entire time. Without him, I might have given up,” she said.
And she’ll never forget Dr. Sanderson.
“He’s a gemstone on a beach. He made an impression on my heart that will never go away,” Lisa said.
“We can’t recommend Dr. Sanderson enough for anyone who needs neurosurgery,” Dennis added.
Main image: Lisa with Dr. Sanderson a few months after surgery.
Disclaimer: Outcomes from neurosurgery vary from person to person. No individual results should be seen as typical.
About Dr. Scott P. Sanderson
Dr. Scott Sanderson is a board-certified, fellowship-trained neurosurgeon who specializes in the surgical treatment of both brain and spine diseases. Although trained at NYU, one of the most prestigious academic neurosurgical programs in the country, Dr. Sanderson believes in providing personalized state-of-the-art care to you in our shared local community. He always considers nonsurgical options first and strives to design surgical plans utilizing minimally-invasive techniques for treatment of back, neck and brain issues. Dr. Sanderson believes strongly that an educated patient is the best patient and commits to providing education to his patients. When not serving his community Dr. Sanderson is a family man, spending time playing with his two boys, wife and dog.
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