Kirsten Storms, the longtime star of ABC’s General Hospital, announced she will undergo brain surgery in the coming weeks after doctors discovered an aneurysm, a condition she described as her brain “sorta lowkey rebelling against me.” The 41-year-old actress shared the update on Instagram on Oct. 14, providing fans with a candid glimpse into her ongoing health challenges.
Storms revealed that during a follow-up scan for a brain cyst removed in 2021, her neurosurgeon identified an aneurysm on the right side of her brain. Earlier this year, in January, she underwent a procedure in which a camera was threaded from her leg to her brain—a routine but intricate process she described vividly. “The path inside your body that they lead the camera through is insane… THE CAMERA GOES THROUGH YOUR ARMPIT, guys. Your. Armpit,” she wrote. While the January procedure addressed other concerns, the aneurysm was not treated at that time due to its “slightly complex” nature, she explained.
The upcoming procedure will involve coiling, a technique used to block blood flow to the aneurysm. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, aneurysms occur when the wall of an artery weakens or bulges, and if left untreated, they can rupture, potentially causing brain damage or death. Coiling introduces a tiny coil—often thinner than a human hair—into the aneurysm to prevent rupture.
Storms, who described herself as “a bit nervous” about neurology-related procedures, is spending the weeks leading up to surgery with her close friend and former General Hospital co-star Emme Rylan. Together, they’ve been “crocheting the most beautiful sweaters,” she wrote, while awaiting her procedure, now scheduled within the next two weeks.
This latest health scare comes after Storms took a break from her role as Maxie on the long-running soap opera this summer to relocate from Los Angeles to Nashville with her 11-year-old daughter, Harper. The move, she explained, was influenced by both her diagnosis and her desire to reduce stress—a known risk factor for aneurysms. “Since the January scan showed a new, but very small, squatter (aka cyst) on my brain stem, it was clear I needed to change some things in my life ASAP,” she wrote. “For my own personal reasons, no longer living in Los Angeles was very important to me. The biggest reason for the move was Harper, but a lot of it was for my physical and mental health. And my overall happiness.”
Storms also shared that part of her decision to go public with the news stemmed from a desire to offer perspective. “Even though my brain seems to be sorta lowkey rebelling against me, it does allow me to understand that we’ve all got times when things aren’t great. If we can, we will do our best to do what is best for ourselves and loved ones. Since I knew what an aneurysm was, the scan in January majorly freaked me out,” she wrote.
In addition, she addressed misleading online reports suggesting she had attempted to harm herself. “A few days after I was discharged from the hospital, someone created a blog post that said I was in the hospital that weekend because I tried to ‘unalive’ myself. I couldn’t understand why a person would make up something that terrible, when they had no idea why I was really there,” she said. She acknowledged, however, that she is grateful for the support of close friends like Rylan, who has been by her side throughout the ordeal. “One of those individuals just made a sh*t load of sweaters with me. They are glorious,” Storms added.
As Storms prepares for surgery, she remains candid about her fears and hopes, offering a heartfelt reminder of the challenges even well-known figures face when navigating serious health issues.