My neurosurgeon in Dallas had only removed maybe 50 pituitary tumors, and he was not confident about my prognosis. He was sure I would have a damaged pituitary post-surgery if it didn't detach while the tumor was removed. Hormone replacement would most likely be the result. This news was upsetting. I was told part of the tumor was deemed "inoperable." It had invaded the cavernous sinus and was near or against the carotid artery; any attempt to remove that would be catastrophic.
Dave and I decided to get a second opinion. We searched online and found several different possibilities. Ultimately the doctor we met with was Daniel Kelly, M.D. at **UCLA Medical Center. We were referred to Dr. Kelly through another neurosurgeon at UCLA who did not specialize in pituitary tumors. Dave and I flew to California to meet with him and were greatly encouraged by his expertise. He had **performed 500+ surgeries. His statistics were just what we needed to see. After all, everything we had read mentioned the outcome of the surgery ultimately weighed on the skill and experience of the surgeon who removed the tumor.
Dr. Kelly became the silver lining among the clouds and gave us some hope. Although his opinion was the same regarding the part of the tumor near my carotid artery, he had a more confident outlook regarding my prognosis. After much prayer and consideration, we decided I would have the tumor removed in Los Angeles.
** Note: Dr. Kelly has since moved to St. John's Medical Center. The technique he uses is the Endonasal Transsphenoidal Surgery.
