On Hitselberger (House Ear Clinic) specifically...Although there are other talented neurosurgeons out there, it will be a sad day when he chooses to retire! He is a world-class surgeon and a wonderful person who is still able to perform "miracles" on a daily basis. He was able to separate my 4+ cm tumor from my brainstem without an ounce of damage.ÂÂ
The local neurosurgeon I first met with (who is very experienced and respected) told me she felt bad about performing this type of surgery on me because she knew that it could change me forever. There were so many nerves, so close together, that any one of them could be damaged in the course of the surgery, she said--leaving me with facial paralysis, swallowing difficulties, balance issues, etc.--in addition to guaranteed deafness. We wouldn't know how embedded the tumor was until she got in there, she explained. From the MRI, it looked like there was an area that was surrounded by cerebral-spinal fluid, which was a good sign that one section may be easier to remove. The part that was impacting (and severely displacing my brainstem), however, could present some problems. She estimated I would be in surgery 8-18 hours and could expect a 5-day to 2-week hospital stay. She wanted me to talk to two former patients about their experiences so I would know what to expect. One was a younger woman about my age who had a very long recovery which included physical therapy. The other was a preacher who scared the children in his congregation since he could no longer smile on both sides of his mouth.ÂÂ
After our meeting, I went home to prepare for the biggest hurdle in my life so far, and my husband (without me knowing) hit the phones and the computer searching for other options. He felt strongly that there had to be specialists who would have a greater chance of getting the tumor out with minimal damage.
He quickly found that House was one of the most respected treatment centers for ANs.  Considering the size of my tumor, my age and absence of symptoms, he was convinced that traveling for treatment was the best option. Drs. Friedman and Hitselberger reviewed my MRI films and expressed confidence that they would be able to do the surgery and get me back to my “normal lifeâ€?.ÂÂ
The surgery, start to finish, was 3 ½ hours. I had no complications, spent 1 day in ICU and 3 more days in a regular room before being discharged. I am in awe of what my docs were able to do for me…especially Hitselberger. He made it seem like no big deal, but I know my situation before surgery was actually quite grave.ÂÂ
I have some hearing loss on my affected side, and my eye gets dry sometimes. I have no other side effects from the surgery.ÂÂ
My parents were concerned when they looked at Hitselberger’s bio and saw his age. My husband (who is in medical supply sales) was thrilled with his level of experience. I didn’t even consider his ageâ€â€I just wanted the best surgeons to be in the operating room with me, regardless of race, sex or age.
Hitselberger will retire when he knows it’s time. For now, we’re still lucky enough to have him in action…
