A return to quality of life
A slow-growing, benign tumor called an acoustic neuroma was making Mary Ann Brinkman dizzy and off-balance. When she closed her eyes or lay down, the room would spin. She couldn’t see in the dark. She fell frequently, could no longer safely enjoy favorite activities such as gardening or theater, and was losing her sense of confidence and independence.
When her doctors at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center told her she was a candidate for Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery, Brinkman was ready to try anything to restore her quality of life.
People with brain tumors once considered inoperable or inaccessible, blood vessel abnormalities and functional disorders such as trigeminal neuralgia have found hope for cure and improved quality of life through Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery.
“This is one of the most exciting and potentially beneficial technologies available for patients with benign or malignant brain lesions, many of which are inoperable,” says neurosurgeon Stephen Tatter, M.D., Ph.D., who co-chairs the Gamma Knife Center.
“The procedure itself seemed so simple it’s hard to believe it would shrink the tumor,” said Brinkman, of Salisbury, N.C. “There was no pain, no noise, no side effects, no illness from surgery. I thought having the headgear put on would be frightening, but it didn’t hurt a bit, and they don’t shave your head. The whole procedure took about 45 minutes. I found there was nothing to be afraid of.”
About six weeks after her Gamma Knife procedure, the sense of motion caused by her tumor stopped. An MRI confirmed that the tumor was shrinking.
“The next thing I knew I could get out and garden, and, within a few months, my night vision had returned,” said Brinkman. “I haven’t had one iota of discomfort and I haven’t fallen once. I’m five years out and still doing great,” said Brinkman.
“I couldn’t have hoped for a procedure to be this painless, or this effective, or for the doctors to be so wonderful. I have been able to reclaim my life—it’s a wonderful thing!”