hi Rutiton, i hope your husband is feeling better now i just wanted to ask how was your experience with Prof Fahlbusch
Hi
You can't go wrong with Dr, Charles Agbi, at the Civic Campus of the Ottawa Hospital, Canada. He is the very best!! He comes highly recommended by so many of the surgeons here in Ottawa.
He recently removed a Cushing's Disease tumor from my pituitary. I am cured of Cushing's and now recovering from the effects of the disease. He gave me a new life.
Carolyn
Surgi:
Radiation can be done after surgery - which can be gamma knife, cyber knife or other forms depending on what is available - but radiation has drawbacks on the pituitary in that it takes from 6 months to 5 years to work and it tends to impact the pituitary function as well. Some people do not have a choice and must do radiation - but it really is a last choice, not a first due to the destruction of function.
Ruiton:
It is good to get experience - the other lady did not... it was a sad case to see. Keep in touch.
I know about the medication but we were advised to do the surgery because of the size etc. perhaps if it was smaller we could try the medicine option. We chose a very well known surgeon because of the situation, i hope he will do the job.
Would it be possible post traditional surgery, if the segment in the sinus were small enough, to do gamma knife surgery on that part?
The part of the tumor in the cavernous sinus is inoperable. If it is pushing up as well to the optic chasm, that part is inoperable.
He/You will have to choose to operate first since there is risk since the tumor is large and pushing on places where a great surgeon will have not a problem or use medications to reduce the size of tumor so that the surgery will not be risky or will not even be necessary. Also, with surgery, you risk losing more hormones - more damage to the pituitary. They will have to take a bit of the normal tissue out as well. This will leave your husband hypopituitary or panhypopituitary after the surgery. Is he already hypopit?
I sadly met someone recently who had surgery with a surgeon that was not experienced - she lost an eye and had a stroke during the surgery as he nicked the carotid artery.
Thank you all for your responds and care. Since we live in Israel the US feels too far to travel. It is also much more expensive. we decided to go to Hannover to prof. Fahlbusch, a very well known and experienced in pituitary tumors. Its a Macro adenoma which already pushes the chiasm and the cybernetic sinus. The treatment in this state is surgery and then medicaments if needed. There are very good Dr. in Israel but t5he volume of these operations is smaller than in the US or Europe which are International centers sometimes. I hope it goes well. Thanks for your advices, it is so important in such situations.
ruth
My mother just had a craniopharyngioma removed at the University of Iowa. I would definatly recommend them. The neurosurgeon that my mother had was Dr. Greenlee. He specializes in the pituitary and was very knowledgeable. Here's how University of Iowa ranked in various fields (including neurology and neurosurgery and ear nose and throat since a lot of times they do the surgery up the nose)
http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/university-of-iowa-hospitals-and-clinics-6620765
Don't forget that acromegaly responds to medications. It is fairly new - a few years old, but I have met people on it and they say it is life-changing. So your hubby has options other than surgery to reduce the size of his tumor and reduce/cease his symptoms.
I was diagnosed with an Adenoma of my pituitary. I was luckily referred to, the university of Southern California ( USC ). My doctor's name is Dr. Martin Weiss and he is the professor of neurosurgery. He is an excellent surgeon with many years practice of performing this kind of surgery. I don't know where you reside but, if you are in need of a great surgeon, you should contact Dr. Weiss. I hope this helps you. Good luck to both you and your husband
I think Ruth doesn't care so much about having to travel- she'll go anywhere with her husband, whether in the U.S., Europe or even elsewhere, so long as they can get the very best neurosurgeon for this type of surgery. You're right - if it's complicated, the very best would be that much more important. But hey, if a person can afford it, who wouldn't want the very best, right? Would you consider your surgeon one of the best or have you heard of anyone anywhere at all with that reputation? It would be nice to know whose considered world class in this field!
Are you located in the USA? Is his tumor very difficult for some reason? Are some parts inoperable or is it all operable? It is near the optic nerves or carvernous sinus?
I looked in your profile and you did not give a location.