Dr. Alexa Canady: Healer of Hydrocephalus

Dr Alexa Irene Canady is the first female African American neurosurgeon in the United States. She was born in Lansing, Michigan in 1950 to dentist Dr. Clinton Canady Jr. and educator Elizabeth Hortense Canady. She received her Bachelor’s in Zoology in 1971 from the University of Michigan, and remained there to attain her MD. She found her calling in the field of neurosurgery. Despite lack of advisor encouragement, she refused to give up. In 1976, she became the first female African American neurosurgery resident, and in 1981, surgeon. 

Despite dismissive comments, prejudice, and bias, Dr. Canady’s career is embellished with many accomplishments. At Wayne State University, she was vice-chair in the Department of Neurosurgery and received the Distinguished Service Award. The Children’s Hospital of Michigan recognized her as the Teacher of the Year. In 1989, she was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame. She also received the American Medical Women’s Association President’s Award in 1993. 

Dr. Canady engaged in research to make innovations in the neurosurgical field. She, alongside Dr. Sood Sandeep (M.D) and Dr. Steven Ham (D.O), are credited as the inventors of the programmable antisiphon shunt. 

The brain is constantly producing and draining cerebrospinal fluid, which cushions the brain, removes waste, and provides nutrients. Patients with hydrocephalus have an issue with excess fluid production or ‘drain’ blockage. The fluid builds up, amassing to hazardous pressure in the brain’s ventricles. 

Traditional shunts are surgically implanted, flexible tubes. They have a valve that redirects excess cerebrospinal fluid to another part of the body, usually the abdomen, where it can be absorbed. The issue with traditional shunts is that they cannot adjust to a person’s position or pressure needs. This may lead to over-drainage or under-drainage, both cascading into serious problems like subdural hematomas and persistently high intracranial pressure. The programmable antisiphon shunt innovates in the face of these issues. When lying down or standing up (both of which affect neural pressure), or when the body’s needs change over time, the shunt can adapt. Physicians can adjust its settings without additional surgery, similar to programming a thermostat to adjust to different temperatures. 

The programmable antisiphon shunt has improved the quality of life for those affected by hydrocephalus. It reduces complications and the requirement of repeated surgeries to adjust or replace the shunt. In children, whose vulnerable brains are still developing, the shunt’s drainage changes to prioritize growth.

Dr. Alexa Canady is an extraordinary surgeon who believed in patient-first approaches, innovation, and representation of the minority and marginalized. In her wise words, “the greatest challenge I faced in becoming a neurosurgeon was believing it was possible.”

Written by Hana Shqairat at Incisionary

References

Pooja Venkatesh, Umaru Barrie, Michael M. Covell, Marianne I.J. Tissot, Momodou G. Bah, Donald Detchou, Salah G. Aoun, Carlos A. Bagley, Alexa Irene Canady: First Female African American Neurosurgeon of the United States, World Neurosurgery, Volume 177, 2023, Pages 26-30, ISSN 1878-8750, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2023.05.103.

(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878875023007490)

U.S. National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). Programmable antisiphon shunt system - patent US-6090062-A - pubchem. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/patent/US-6090062-A#section=Inventor

Ngomsik, D. A.-F. (2024, November 5). Embracing intersectionality in science - alexa Irene Canady, MD: A catalyst for change (Chapter 11). Trianon_Sci _Comm. https://www.science-by-trianon.com/post/embracing-intersectionality-in-science-alexa-canady-md-a-catalyst-for-change-chapter-11#:~:text=This%20is%20where%20the%20programmable,its%20flow%20based%20on%20need. 

National Institutes of Health. (n.d.-a). Opening doors: Contemporary african american academic surgeons. U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/opening-doors/bio_Alexa_Canady.html