Neurosurgery and motorcycles: Dr. Robert Hollis knows a lot about both of them. In fact, it was a motorcycle injury that first piqued his interest in neurosurgery in his third year of undergraduate schooling at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
“I was in a motorcycle accident and had a concussion, but they consulted a neurosurgeon when I was in the hospital in Urbana,” Hollis says. “I ended up doing fine and I got to know the neurosurgeon, and I became interested in neurosurgery at that point.”
After the accident, Hollis was fortunate enough to develop a closer relationship with the neurosurgeon who consulted on his case, Dr. Jerome Kaufman, after he discovered they attended the same health club.
“He started lecturing me about how dangerous motorcycles are and how they hurt people. And then he got this sly smile on his face and he says, ‘But I ride them, too.’ And I thought, hey, this guy’s pretty cool,” Hollis says. “So, I just started talking to him about motorcycles and I told him about my career aspirations (to pursue medicine). He started to talk to me about neurosurgery.”
Kaufman, who passed away in June 2016, was an influential character in Hollis’ history.
Since this fortuitous pairing, Hollis has traveled around the country to practice neuroscience. Hollis, however, is no stranger to traveling.
“I was born in Ponca City, Okla., but my father was a chemical engineer,” Hollis says. “So I’ve lived in Saudi Arabia, I’ve lived in Europe, I’ve lived in California, Oklahoma, kind of all over.”
Settling in Ohio was a family decision for Hollis. His wife, Caroyl, was eager to return to the Midwest. Moreover, Ohio offered comparatively better pay and a less taxing schedule than the 90 hour weeks Hollis became accustomed to. He says it was the most beneficial move for himself and his family.
Hollis began his work in Findlay at Blanchard Valley Health System (BVHS) in 2013. Through BVHS, Hollis found an environment suitable for his work and his family.
“I would say that we have a very friendly and cordial environment with the workers, and with the patients, we try to treat them exactly like they’re a family member,” he says.
“We try to use humor and be very warm. We’re very frank in our questioning as well as our recommendations.” - Dr. Robert Hollis
Hollis stresses the importance of patient relationships.
“We have two neurosurgeons in this office: myself and Dr. (Sean) Logan. Plus, we have a neurologist who we interact with a great deal. Plus, I have two physician assistants and a nurse practitioner. We definitely have a team, and we have a large number of medical assistants and nurses that help move the patient along and gather information.”
BVHS also offers a technical advantage that allows Hollis to communicate effectively with patients.
“We have large-screen TVs on the wall, so the patients are shown their pictures and results so they know exactly why I’m thinking what I’m thinking and why I’m suggesting what I suggest,” Hollis says.
Hollis encounters a wide array of potential conditions in his line of work, so clear communication with patients is essential.
“The majority of what we treat is adult spinal conditions such as degenerative disc disease, sciatica, slippage of vertebrae, scoliosis, pinched spinal cord, as well as tumors of the spine, both inside and outside of the nerve sac,” says Hollis. “Then we also treat brain tumors, occasionally vascular malformations of the brain and mild head trauma.”
When Hollis is not busy treating patients, he can be found with his wife or his 14-year-old daughter, Lydia. He no longer spends his time riding motorcycles.
“I sold my last (motorcycle) last year,” he says. “My back and neck don’t care for the kind of race bikes that I like, so I stick to cars now.”
Dr. Robert Hollis
Dr. Robert Hollis completed medical school at the University of Illinois in Chicago. He completed his neurosurgery residency at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill. He is board certified in neurological surgery. Prior to coming to BVHS, Hollis practiced in the western United States for more than 15 years.
Motorcycles and Brain Injuries
Brain injury is three times more likely when a motorcyclist does not wear a helmet, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Wearing a helmet can reduce motorcycle brain injury by up to 85 percent, according to the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
Here are some of the injuries and side effects that can occur:
- Memory loss and poor concentration
- Long-term depression, anxiety and mood swings
- Decreased cognitive and intellectual abilities
- Loss of motor skills and coordination
- Permanent paralysis
- Recurring seizures
- Subdural hemorrhages, bleeding that occurs between the brain and the dura mater, can be life-threatening and often involve emergency surgery
Courtesy of AfterAMotorcycleAccident.com
Hailey Stangebye is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
