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Can 9-Year-Old's Life be Saved?
Details of Revolutionary Surgery to be Revealed
What:
A 9-year-old boy with a brain tumor and his mother will join an internationally renowned surgeon to reveal details about the revolutionary surgery that holds promise for saving his life. David Dingman-Grover gained international attention when his mother, Tiffani Dingman-Grover, launched an online auction to pay for a biopsy to determine whether or not his tumor is still cancerous. The boy named his tumor "Frankenstein" and his mother created a bumper sticker declaring, "Frank Must Die." After raising $40,000 via the auction and other private donations, Tiffani began the search for a surgeon. When she learned the barbaric nature of the traditional procedure (described below), she sought out a surgeon with the capabilities willing to help. Inspired by his plight, skull base surgeon Hrayr Shahinian, M.D. will perform the surgery free of charge.
When:
Tuesday, February 1
11:30 a.m.
Where:
Beverly Hilton Hotel - Brighton Room (ground floor, south of Palm Court)
9876 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310-274-7777
Boy's Plight:
David was diagnosed in May 2003 with a grapefruit-sized malignant skull base tumor. Chemotherapy shrank it to the size of a walnut. Dr. Shahinian will perform a biopsy on Wednesday, February 2 and the pathology results are expected one week later to determine whether or not the tumor is still actively cancerous.
New Form of Surgery:
Dr. Shahinian has turned the medical community upside down by shunning the traditional craniotomy -- a relatively barbaric procedure that involves making an incision from ear to ear, pulling back the skin to expose the skull, sawing off the top portion to reach the brain and attempting to correct the abnormality in question. Shahinian and his world-class team of surgeons, neurologists, endocrinologists and other medical professionals are able to treat patients using micro-instruments to access the problem areas. He will use an endoscope and insert it through David's nasal passage to reach the tumor. The procedure is simpler and safer to perform and David will experience a shorter hospital stay, reduced recovery time, decreased overall risk and a superior result with fewer complications. To date, Dr. Shahinian has treated more than 2,000 patients using his advanced endoscopic procedure. The result is leading to a paradigm shift in this field of medicine despite some opposition from traditionalists who are holding on to long-established practices and are resistant to change. (ANIMATED VIDEO & STILL PHOTOS OF BOTH FORMS OF SURGERY TO BE PROVIDED AT PRESS CONFERENCE)
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