Medical Reports: Brain Surgery

WSVN -- Swelling aside, you'd never guess Mike Hogan had life-saving brain surgery just a few weeks ago.

Mike Hogan: "The doctor ordered a CAT scan. When they did the CAT scan, the aneurysm showed up."

Doctors feared the aneurysm would rupture. Hogan's surgeons used a new and unusual technique to treat it.

Dr. Khaled Aziz, neurosurgeon: "When we do the standard procedure, we make an incision behind the hairline from here, all the way to here."

Instead, surgeons fixed the aneurysm through a tiny hole in his eyelid. A neuro opthamologist makes an incision, in the crease of the eye, then removes a small piece of bone from the patient's eye socket.

Next, a neurosurgeon goes through the hole into the brain and clips the blood vessel that feeds the aneurysm, then puts the bone back in place.

Dr. Khaled Aziz: "In the long run, I think this is more helpful for the patient outcome rather than standard surgical approaches."

Mike has no scar, little pain and more importantly, more time to watch his grandchildren grow up.

Mike Hogan: "It's amazing what they can do."

The eyelid approach is not for everyone. It only works for patients who need surgery toward the front of the skull.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

West Penn Allegheny Health System
Dan Laurent
Media Relations
(412) 359-8602