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| Meningioma: Success Stories |
Rosanna M., Napoli, Italia
I would like to take the opportunity to tell the true story of a housewife without hope and a man that brought light back to her life.
It all started when I noticed that I was having problems with reading. My sight was dim and I was having problems focusing on everything. After consulting an eye doctor who didn't find anything wrong, it was suggested for me to undergo a CAT scan and an MRI. I was diagnosed with a 3cm meningioma located at the Sella Turcica. After consulting the best neurosurgeon in Naples, Italy, I was told that just because of the location and the size of the tumor, it would be a miracle if they could remove 70% of it.
Since then, I wasn't the same person. I felt that I would never see my husband and my two kids. I could already see myself in a wheelchair, with no hair and going from one hospital to another. Even the eye doctor told me that the damage to my left eye (75% blind) was permanent.
So my husband did a search on the Internet and found an article that said, "Brain Surgery with ‘The Cyclops' Allows Patients to Go Home Next Day." The article described minimally invasive surgical techniques that were been developed to remove tumors of the anterior fossa. It mentioned Dr. Hrayr Shahinian of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, who was performing a fully endoscopic glabellar approach to olfactory bulb meningiomas and craniopharyngiomas.
We couldn't believe it and thought that it wasn't true, but we were wrong. It was true.
After contacting the Skull Base Institute and sending full documentation including my MRI, we were told that I would be a good candidate for the doctor's technique. So after saying goodbye to our children, we flew from Naples, Italy to Los Angeles to the Skull Base Institute.
After being received by his kind and professional personnel, we had a conference with Dr. Shahinian the day before surgery. He was so professional and complete in answering all of our doubts, telling us all of the priorities he would be considering during surgery.
The next day, after 7 hours of surgery, Dr. Shahinian came out of the operating room and told my husband that the tumor has been hard like crystal and wrapped around both of my optical nerves, but that everything had worked out perfectly. He had removed 99% of it. When I woke up, I was amazed because I had gained 100% of my sight again!
The day after, Dr. Shahinian was the first person to come and visit me in my room, checking that I was really fine. I told him that I had no pain whatsoever, but just felt a bit sleepy. I was discharged from the hospital the day after and even went dancing with my husband the same night. This was incredible. Everything was just fine. It was like I was born again!
Before returning to Italy, Dr. Shahinian had us stop by for a last check-up. He told us that we should consider him family and that if we needed him for any reason, he would always be available. To prove it, he gave us his email address and all his phone numbers.
After our return to Italy, I had an MRI after 3 months and another one a year later. The Italian radiologist was shocked not only because they were both clean, but he couldn't even tell where Dr. Shahinian had entered my skull. We have all agreed that this man is a GOD. His good work was a miracle.
Dr. Shahinian is an angel sent to Earth for all mankind!! He has saved so many lives and ways of living. He is the future for the science of medicine.
Rosanna M.
Napoli, Italia
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