Our Success Stories
MINC surgeons have successfully treated more than 2,000 patients, including some whose conditions would have been inoperable by conventional surgery. Success stories like those below inspire MINC physicians to continue their cutting-edge work.
Treatment Helps Child Thrive
One of MINC's most rewarding cases involved a toddler who'd had a near fatal nose-bleed from an abnormal connection of arteries and veins at the base of her skull. Knowing she would not survive a conventional operation, doctors tried a series of catheter treatments with limited success. By age four, the girl had lost vision in one eye and had additional occurrences of life-threatening bleeding. Fortunately, by that time, MINC surgeons had developed new techniques to help her. By using EEA over several sessions to manage blood loss, most of her vascular malformation was removed. Since then, the girl has experienced a relatively healthy and trouble-free childhood.
Read more about her successful treatment in the May 2006 issue of Pittsburgh Magazine >
Removal of Tumor Allows Woman to Start Family
A 32-year-old woman had an MRI because she was concerned about her irregular menstrual cycle and milky discharge from her breasts. The MRI revealed a pituitary tumor. Believing that she had a prolactinoma – a tumor that causes the pituitary gland to overproduce the hormone prolactin – the woman’s physicians recommended treatment with oral medications. Over the next three and a half years, she continued to take the medication and tried unsuccessfully to become pregnant.
A new MRI showed that the medication had failed to shrink the size of the tumor. Her physicians referred her to MINC for evaluation. MINC surgeons were able to remove the benign growth from her pituitary using the Expanded Endonasal Approach. Immediately following surgery, her menstrual cycle regulated itself.
On her five-month follow-up visit with her MINC treatment team, she revealed that she had become pregnant.
Restored Sight to Pregnant Woman
A young woman came to MINC nearly blind from a brain tumor pressing against her optic nerve. Since she was pregnant, conventional surgery was undesirable. Using the "inside out" approach, MINC surgeons removed the tumor through her nose, avoiding any need to open her head in a lengthier, more traumatic surgery that would have exposed the unborn baby to prolonged anesthesia. The result: The young woman regained sight within 24 hours of the three-hour operation, and went on to give birth to a healthy boy.
Teaming EEA with Gamma Knife
A 50-year-old man had a tumor of the pituitary gland which was slowly robbing him of his sight by compressing his optic nerve. Medication helped his vision only slightly. MINC surgeons knew they could safely remove most of the tumor using EEA; however, part of the tumor was close to delicate nerves that control eye movement. Rather than risk impairing the man's ability to move his eyes, the MINC team left that portion of the tumor intact, then referred him to UPMC Gamma Knife radiosurgeons for further treatment. The combination of EEA and Gamma Knife treatments led to normal hormone function and the patient completely recovering his eyesight
Teaming EEA with Radiation
In one young woman, a challenging 8cm tumor ran from the speech region of her brain down the length of her jaw. Conventional access to these spaces involves incisions that often require risky manipulation of important nerves and blood vessels. MINC surgeons were able to remove almost all of the tumor through the nose. A small portion that was left untouched, because of its proximity to nerves critical to the eye, was treated with a single dose of radiation to prevent further growth.
A Better Approach to Spinal Surgery
A patient in her 80s suffered from severe arthritis which caused degeneration of the junction of her spine and skull. This caused the top of her spine to shift, resulting in compression of her brainstem. It was necessary to remove a portion of her spine to alleviate the problem. Conventional surgery would have required splitting the back of the mouth, causing great discomfort, possibly impacting her ability to swallow, and presenting the likelihood that she would need a tracheostomy. Using EEA, MINC was able to remove the section of spine through her nose with no complications.
A No-Transfusion Treatment Option
Reduced blood loss and reliable management of bleeding are among the many advantages of MINC's minimally invasive procedures. This was particularly important to a patient whose strict religious beliefs prevented him from undergoing a treatment that normally requires a blood transfusion. MINC was able to remove multiple nose, sinus and skull-base tumors from this patient without requiring him to choose between a necessary treatment and his personal values.