PITUITARY TUMOR / PROLACTINOMA

Ken Baker: Uh ...

Female Announcer: Ken Baker hits the ball like a man trying to make up for lost time - seven years to be exact. It was back in college when the now 28-year-old noticed a mysterious change in himself.

Ken: I had lost my competitive drive. I wasn't building muscle, even though I'd work out. And I wasn't as fast.

Female Announcer: Ken thought it was all in his head. It was. Doctors discovered a hormone-secreting pituitary tumor at the base of Ken's brain. He needed brain surgery. But Dr. Hrayr Shahinian of CS Medical Center would attack the tumor, not through the skull, but through a more natural direct opening - the nose. Doctors inserted a telendoscope through the nostril and into the brain, giving them a panoramic view of the entire tumor site.

Dr. Shahinian: When we used to do it microscopically ... there are reports in the literature of up to 40% of the time, you left tumor behind, because the microscope ... because it hides behind corners.

Female Announcer: The tumor is also removed through the nostril - no incision, no scar. The brain is undisturbed, cutting both the surgery and recovery time in half.

Ken: I started to playing tennis and...a...training for tournaments now. It's such a great feeling to be able to do that. Um...it's just like a rebirth.

Female Announcer: Ken looks good two days after surgery despite painful swelling in his nose. Nine days later, he was rollerblading. When doctors removed the tumor, they brought Ken's hormone levels and his life as a People Magazine correspondent back to normal.