SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – A local neurosurgeon is giving patients new hope with a rare surgery for Jugular Compression Syndrome, allowing one teen to walk at her high school graduation after years of debilitating pain.
Natalie Birn,a recent high school graduate,credits Dr. Peter Nakaji with transforming her life. “Before the surgery, I didn’t know if I woudl make it to graduation,” she said. Birn had been largely confined to a wheelchair before undergoing the procedure.
Dr. Nakaji, director of Scottsdale Neurosurgery Specialists within the Bob Bové Neuroscience Institute at HonorHealth, is currently the only neurosurgeon in Arizona performing this specific surgery, which he helped pioneer.The procedure addresses jugular Compression Syndrome,a condition where compression of the jugular vein in the neck causes a range of neurological symptoms.
“If you imagine just squeezing your neck until you can feel your eyes bulge, it’s like that all the time,” Dr. Nakaji explained, describing the sensation some patients experience.
The surgery has provided life-changing results for Birn, resolving a long-standing medical mystery and allowing her to achieve a meaningful milestone: walking at her graduation. Patients are now traveling to Scottsdale from around the world seeking Dr. Nakaji’s expertise.
https://www.azfamily.com/2025/07/11/groundbreaking-surgery-scottsdale-helps-teen-walk-graduation/
Copyright 2025 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
