'Give patients their lives back': Specialized care for moyamoya disease
September 2026
Above: Patient Courteney Hobbes and her husband appear on KPTV.
When Courteney Hobbs experienced tingling in her lips and later began losing function in her right hand, she knew something wasn't right. After suffering a small stroke, she was diagnosed with moyamoya disease – a rare condition that causes blockage of blood vessels at the base of the brain.
"Moyamoya disease is a progressive disorder that results in blockage of the blood vessels at the base of the skull," says Vivek Deshmuhk, M.D., a neurosurgeon with the Providence Neuroscience Institute.
To reduce Courteney's future stroke risk, Dr. Deshmuhk performed a specialized bypass procedure that reroutes blood flow to the brain. The surgery helps deliver more oxygen to brain tissue and restore critical circulation.
Less than a year later, Courteney is thriving. "Feeling so good. Life is kind of back to normal as much as it can be," she says.
Now expecting a baby in November, she's focused on the future instead of her diagnosis.
"This is why I went into medicine," Dr. Deshmuhk says. "The pinnacle of what we do is to give patients their life back."
Related
- See more of our services at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center.
- Schedule an appointment with Providence Neuroscience Institute.
- Read a story about our community raising money in a walk for multiple sclerosis research.