• Press Release

Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Patient Makes Speedy Recovery

Marlene Cajamarca, 40, arrived at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in 2009 and was gravely ill with a subarachnoid hemorrhage.

  • NEW YORK, NY
  • (September 07, 2010)

Marlene Cajamarca, 40, arrived at The Mount Sinai Medical Center last summer with a subarachnoid hemorrhage — a type of stroke that occurs when a blood vessel ruptures in the brain. She was gravely ill, on a ventilator, and unable to move her left side at all. Her brain was swelling, putting pressure on her skull. 

To accommodate this swelling, Mount Sinai neurosurgeons removed part of her skull. The endovascular team, under the leadership of Aman Patel, MD, successfully used a coil to treat her aneurysm, and they later performed angioplasty when the blood vessel constricted (vasospasm). 

After two weeks in the neuro-ICU and three weeks in acute rehabilitation, Ms. Cajamarca was allowed to go home. She returned to the neuro-ICU in September, however — this time for a social visit to show just how far she had come in three short months.

“I would like to thank everybody for taking such good care of me at Mount Sinai,” Ms. Cajamarca said. “Thank you so much for saving my life.”

We can help

If you or someone you love has suffered a stroke or other type of cerebrovascular disorder, we can help. Please visit the Mount Sinai Cerebrovascular Disorders Clinical Program or our Neuro-Critical Care Unit for more information. Visit our Stories of Hope for more insights on the Mount Sinai experience. 


About the Mount Sinai Health System

Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with 48,000 employees working across seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, more than 600 research and clinical labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time—discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.

Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes approximately 9,000 primary and specialty care physicians and 11 free-standing joint-venture centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida. Hospitals within the System are consistently ranked by Newsweek’s® “The World’s Best Smart Hospitals, Best in State Hospitals, World Best Hospitals and Best Specialty Hospitals” and by U.S. News & World Report's® “Best Hospitals” and “Best Children’s Hospitals.” The Mount Sinai Hospital is on the U.S. News & World Report® “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll for 2024-2025.

For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.