What if I told you that you can have AN surgery on Monday and be back home on the following Saturday? Nonsense you say, well read our experience with the Skull Base Instiute and the talented and gifted Dr. Hrayr Shahinian (Dr. S).
As some of you know, our son Jared, was diagnosed with a right sided AN (10x9x7 mm) on 9-17-08. Jared experienced hearing loss in his right ear which led us to numerous ENT's before an MRI revealed the AN. In our research we discovered the Skull Base Institue and Dr. S, who performs a minimally invasive surgery by the use of an endoscope. We knew immediately that this was the surgical procedure we wanted. Phone discussions with Dr. S only reinforced our belief about this minimally invasive technique.
Surgery was scheduled for Monday, Dec. 29, 2008. That morning we arrived at Brotman Medical Center at 5:30 am for the customary paperwork involving insurance matters. Jared was then prepped for surgery and was wheeled into the operating room at 7:00 am. During the prep, Dr. S was present and answered any questions we had about the surgery. Dr. S said it would take approx. 90 minutes to position Jared for the surgery and the first incision would be around 8:30 am.
At 8:30 we received a call on our cell phone from one member of the surgical team to tell us the surgery had started. Every 60 minutes we would then receive another call informing us about the surgery. One phone call was to tell us that the pathology report confirmed it was indeed an AN and it was benign. What a relief!! Dr. S then called at 12:40 pm to tell us the surgery was finished and at 1:00 pm he stopped by the waiting room to show us pictures of the surgery and describe in detail what had transpired.
We were able to see Jared in ICU at approx. 2:45 pm, although he was still pretty much out of it at that time. Over the next two days Jared gained his strength and was able to walk a few steps, although he needed help in doing so. He was experiencing moderate headaches and dizziness the first two days although they were beginning to subside. Jared was released from the hospital after only 48 hours on Wed., Dec. 31st at noon.
We then stayed at a hotel in L.A. on Wed. and Thursday. Each day Jared was gaining more strength and experience far less headaches. He was able to walk farther but still needed some assistance. On Friday, Jan. 2nd Jared had a post-op appointment with Dr. S at 9:30 am and at that time he cleared Jared to fly back home. We then flew to Denver and arrived in the late afternoon and stayed in a hotel near the airport. The plane ride did not affect Jared at all, in fact, Jared was showing great recovery by then and was able to look out the window and enjoy the scenery from the air.
On Saturday morning, Jan. 3rd, at 6:00 am Jared woke us up in the hotel room and told us he was starving and wanted breakfast! This was music to our ears and after he had eaten he said he was ready to go home, which was a 5 hour drive to western Kansas. The drive home did not affect Jared whatsoever. He was listening to a KU basketball game and making normal conversation with us.
Since we have been home Jared has been walking on a regular basis without any assistance and has only a minor headache every so often which is relieved by Tylenol. His recovery has been remarkable, to say the least!! He told me that he does have to concentrate when he walks or else he staggers a little like someone who has been drinking. Dr. S told Jared it would take 2 to 10 weeks to regain his balance. The 2nd semester of college begins on Jan. 15th and Jared has already commented that it will be 'no problem' to go to school at that time.
To those of you who question the endoscopic procedure because of a conversation with an ENT or neurosurgeon we can only ask that you please research this minimally invasive procedure. Dr. Shahinian and the Skull Base Institute are renowned in their field of skull base tumors. Dr. S has performed over 3,500 endoscopic surgeries to remove tumors and 600+ have been to remove acoustic neuromas. Dr. S used to perform these surgeries the traditional (grossly invasive) way but has refined his skills to remove the tumor by the use of an endoscope. Jared's incision is approx. 1.25 inches long and has 6 staples. Jared's hair will completely cover the incision and it will not be noticeable.
Jared will have an MRI in the next 90 to 120 days to confirm the complete removal of the tumor. After that, he should have an MRI annually to rule out any regrowth. Jared had suffered approx. 60%-80% hearing loss in his right ear prior to the surgery. He is completely deaf in his right ear at this time. Dr. S said there is a slight chance he could regain what hearing he had before surgery after the swelling subsides in his skull, but would not guarantee it.
To think about the traditional method to remove an acoustic neuroma makes us shudder. Jared would still be in the hospital today with a large pressure bandage on the incision to keep the abdominal fat in the cavity to prevent spinal fluid leakage. And his recovery time would be months instead of weeks or days. Not an option that makes much sense to us; just our opinion.
We would be honored to visit with anyone who has questions about this minimally invasive procedure and our experiences with the Skull Base Institue and Dr. Shahinian. Please PM or email us and ask any questions you might have.
Take care.
Ron & Karen
