photograph courtesy semmes murphey clinic
Editor’s Note: Every year, the national medical group Castle Connolly compiles a list of the best doctors in America. In the Memphis area, the 2024 Top Doctors list comprises more than 400 physicians representing 60 specialties. Here, we introduce you to one of the caregivers who have been a Top Doc time and again. For a complete list, pick up a copy of our June 2024 issue from your favorite newsstand, or — even better — subscribe.
Dr. Adam Arthur grew up in the Shenandoah Valley with a variety of interests, but two stand out in his memory: soccer and computers. The former instilled a devotion to teamwork, and the latter sparked Arthur’s curiosity in how people think, in particular how the human brain functions. Fast-forward to the present and this neurosurgeon at Semmes Murphey Clinic thrives on precision teamwork in the interest of repairing injuries or disease in the human brain.
“I tend to focus on stroke,” explains Arthur. “Both bleeds in the brain — from, say, an aneurysm rupturing — or not enough blood getting to an area of the brain from a blocked artery. I’ve always been interested in using my hands and working on a team. I love that about neurosurgery: I get to work with a team of bright people to help someone live their life, and have their function. It’s the best game in town.”
Arthur does not subscribe to the notion that a human being is gifted with the hands of a surgeon, in large part because he knows the time and effort he’s put in to refine those delicate skills. “Anybody can learn to do it,” he says. “It’s about working and practicing, 10,000 hours. We’re capable of doing so many things if we work at it. We tend to use one hand dominantly, but if you’re going to be a good neurosurgeon, you really have to use both. I’m left-handed, and we tend to have a bit of an advantage, as the world has been trying to teach us [left-handed folks] to use our non-dominant hand all along.”
“We have a lot to learn about brain injuries and how the brain works. Automated machine learning will help us do what we do so much better, and in my lifetime. It can help us lower operation times. People who find ways to work with AI to do their jobs better will make a real leap forward.” — Dr. Adam Arthur
Brain trauma is frightening, to the patient and their loved ones. Among Arthur’s regular challenges are allaying fear and presenting a path toward recovery. “Getting people to understand the key things we’re working on, and what to expect in the time course, is very important,” he says. And time is critical in the case of a blocked artery in the brain. Arthur and his team must not only work precisely, but often quickly.
Looking ahead, Arthur likes the possibilities artificial intelligence could bring neurosurgery. “The brain is still one of the most complex and amazing things we’ve encountered in the universe,” he says. “We have a lot to learn about brain injuries and how the brain works. Automated machine learning will help us do what we do so much better, and in my lifetime. It can help us lower operation times. People who find ways to work with AI to do their jobs better will make a real leap forward.”
July will mark 20 years for Arthur at Semmes Murphey, an institution that has become a second home. “Memphis was an early center for excellence in endovascular catheter-based procedures,” he notes. “There was a radiologist willing to train me. We have a fantastic community here. It’s a medical town. People have been kind to me and my family; there’s something about Southern hospitality. I’ve lost count of the number of times I didn’t expect someone to be kind or have a sense of humor … and then they do.”
