Kirsten Storms is once again facing a challenging health ordeal as she prepares for another brain surgery. This time, doctors have discovered an aneurysm, four years after her previous procedure.

The well-known General Hospital star, currently taking a leave of absence from the show, shared the unexpected news on Instagram this past Monday, October 13. Storms, aged 41, disclosed that a brain scan conducted in January unveiled her latest health concern.

Reflecting on her medical history, Storms recounted her 2021 brain surgery, during which doctors removed a problematic cyst. Since then, her neurosurgeon has been closely monitoring another cyst left untouched during that procedure. The recent scan, however, brought a surprise revelation: an aneurysm on the right side of her brain.

Storms expressed her shock upon learning about the aneurysm but noted that she underwent a procedure that very weekend. While the process was described as “routine,” the complexity of her aneurysm presented challenges, preventing doctors from successfully “coiling” it during the procedure.

Beyond her medical struggles, Kirsten Storms has long been a familiar face in the entertainment industry. She first captured audiences as the lead in Disney Channel’s Zenon during the ’90s. However, it is her enduring portrayal of Maxie Jones, a role she took on in May 2005, that has solidified her status as a beloved figure on the soap opera General Hospital.

Endovascular coiling is used to “block blood flow into an aneurysm,” according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, which describes an aneurysm as a “weakened area in the wall of an artery.” If an aneurysm were to rupture, the hospital says it can cause life-threatening bleeding and damage, which is why coiling is used to try and prevent it from breaking open.

Storms, for her part, said on Tuesday that was able to go home in January and finish work, move to Tennessee with her daughter, Harper, and plan her soap hiatus all before having to return for a second shot at the surgery this month. (Storms shares Harper, 11, with ex-husband Brandon Barash.)

“Anyway, neurology stuff makes me feel a bit of nervousness, so now — here I am with [General Hospital costar] Emme [Rylan] in St. Louis and we are crocheting the most beautiful sweaters while my coiling procedure is being scheduled for sometime in the next two weeks,” the Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century actress continued via Instagram.

Storms captioned her health update with additional information about her mental state ahead of the surgery.

“I wanted to post this because 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,” she wrote. “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.”

Kirsten Storms has some thoughts about Maxie’s romance with Lucky Spencer on General Hospital. “It was weird. I’ve known Greg [Vaughan] since I was, like, 14 or 15,” Storms, 41, said in an interview with Swooon published earlier this month. “And to me, back then, he was a grown-up. So, that was a very interesting […]

Storms then shut down rumors about why she was in the hospital earlier this year, writing, “A few days after I was discharged from the hospital [in January], 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 acknowledged that “there are a few really bad apples out there. We all know that … but there are people in my life who I am truly thankful to know.”

Storms then gave Rylan, 44, a shout-out after she stood by her side during the 2021 procedure and is back with her this round. “One of those individuals just made a s*** load of sweaters with me. They are glorious. 😍@EmmeRylan @kirstenandemme #CrochetingIsGoodForTheBrain #KickinIt,” she concluded.

Kirsten Storms set the record straight about her break from General Hospital amid rumors of behind-the-scenes drama at the ABC soap. “I’m still under contract and have every intention of returning when the break (I was fortunate enough to be granted) is over,” Storms, 41, confirmed to fans via Instagram on Wednesday, July 9. Storms […]

Storms’ upcoming surgery comes months after she announced in July that she was taking time off from General Hospital and relocating from California to Tennessee.

“It’s possible I will be back in December, maybe November,” Storms said via Instagram at the time. “I promise you the story line they have going on until my return to Port Charles is kind of incredible. You guys are gonna freak out actually.”

Storms has played Maxie on and off since May 2005. She previously took a break from the show in 2021 after she had a “very large cyst that had split into two” removed from the lower portion of her brain.