Many patients who have pituitary tumor surgery at the Weill Cornell Medicine Brain and Spine Center consult other surgeons before making a decision. We encourage second (and even third) opinions to help patients make informed decisions. We're especially gratified when patients choose us, then share their stories to help future patients make their own best choices. Meet some of the patients we've treated in the video and the letters below.
Patient 1
In February 2003 I had a breathing problem. My regular HMO doctor referred me to an ENT doctor. She felt it was my adenoids and wanted to remove them. The second opinion agreed. One look with the endoscope and Dr. Anand said, "I think you have a chordoma."
My ENT disagreed with his diagnosis. She said he was an alarmist and it was most likely nothing. Dr. Anand sent me immediately to Dr. Schwartz. The night before the surgery the ENT called me and said I think you should go ahead with the doctor's plan for endoscopic surgery. I've been with him ever since.
I was scheduled to stay 4 days in the hospital, I only stayed 2. I feel that I am in the best hands. In my career, my job has made offers for me to relocate, but my family says you can't relocate. It's that important.
Patient 2
I had a pituitary tumor and I was losing sight in my left eye. It was a very large tumor that needed to be taken out quite urgently. Dr. Schwartz performed the surgery through the nasal cavity with an ENT specialist, Dr. Anand. The most amazing thing was that the degradation of my vision was pretty bad. When I first woke up, Dr. Schwartz was there, and my vision was perfect immediately. There were no side effects and I feel great. It's amazing to think about what they did and how easy it was. I had almost no pain and minimal discomfort.
Patient 3
I had a large pituitary tumor that was discovered during fertility testing. I was so afraid of the implications both to my overall health and my fertility potential. Dr. Boockvar and his staff explained all of the options and the diagnosis to me. They were forthright about the risks and benefits. Dr. Boockvar was available personally to answer any and every question I had prior to my decision to go forward with surgical removal even making himself available over a weekend. He provided patient references who spoke with me on the phone, who shared their trust in Dr. Boockvar and Dr. Huang. It was helpful to hear their personal experiences, outcomes, and the benefits of the surgery in their lives.
I consulted with a couple of other more traditional neurosurgeons and they had recommended that I leave the tumor alone and not go with an invasive procedure despite its size and the impact it was having on the overall quality of my life. In the end after considering all advice, I chose to have the tumor removed through the nasal cavity. There was very little to no pain post operatively. I really had no outward physical indications that I had any surgery at all, let alone a brain surgery. Within a few days I was back to work and within a month able to travel. Within 6 months I had medical clearance for pregnancy and just recently I had a beautiful baby girl. I am so glad that I chose to trust newer treatment protocols and available technology. This surgery had a very positive experience on my life.
