A neurosurgeon discovered Storms’ aneurysm during a follow-up scan for a cyst she had removed from her brain in 2021.

General Hospital actress Kirsten Storms returns after brain aneurysm

A neurosurgeon discovered Storms' aneurysm during a follow-up scan for a cyst she had removed from her brain in 2021.

By Lauren Huff

Lauren Huff

Lauren Huff is an award-winning journalist and staff writer at ** with over 12 years of experience covering all facets of the entertainment industry.

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February 12, 2026 8:55 p.m. ET

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Kristen Storms on 'General Hospital'. Credit:

Christine Bartolucci/Disney via Getty

Kirsten Storms has checked back in to *General Hospital*.

The actress, who took a six-month hiatus due to a brain aneurysm, reappeared on screen in Thursday's episode of the enduring daytime soap, per PEOPLE.

In the episode, her character, Maxie, who had been in a coma during Storms' hiatus, wakes up just as her family is getting ready to leave the hospital for the day. When her son James (Gary James Fuller) says he wants to go to the ice rink, Maxie pops up behind everyone to declare that he will not be allowed to do so without a helmet.

Storms announced in July that she was temporarily stepping back from her long-running role on *General Hospital* to move from L.A. to Nashville with her daughter Harper. But a social media post in October stated her health concerns as another contributing factor in the decision.

Kristen Storms on 'General Hospital'.

Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty

In a lengthy Instagram post at the time, Storms revealed that she was planning to undergo surgery for an aneurysm in the coming weeks. The star wrote that her neurosurgeon first discovered the aneurysm during a follow-up scan in January for a cyst she had removed from her brain in 2021.

"The January scan happened because I had symptoms that the doctors thought could've been brain related," she wrote. "Ok — when I say that I was shocked when the doctors told me they found an aneurysm on the right side of my brain… welp, I basically launched into a standup comedy routine."

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In an Instagram post shared in December, Storms disclosed that she had decided to postpone the operation for the time being. "My last appointment was with a new Neurosurgeon in St Louis," she explained. "He told me that I am in the 'gray zone' for the aneurysm procedure. It's not super small, but it's not at the mandatory surgery size."

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Storms added, "Basically, I can keep monitoring it — or have the coiling done, BUT he told me I wasn't in immediate/'OMG! it's going to burst tomorrow!' kind of danger. Obvi, great news. Trying to see if I'm comfortable with the 'wait and see if it gets worse' plan."

After cracking a few jokes and thanking her fans for all their support, she teased her return to *GH*, ending her post with "and maaaaybe you will be seeing me back in Port Charles soon," referring to the fictional town in which the show is set.**

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Source: “EW Soap”