'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.