A scary diagnosis ; a reassuring and steady hand .
In 2017 , Patricia Trent had a stroke . That was when her doctors in West Virginia discovered she also had a brain tumor at the base of her skull . It was a benign tumor that rarely grows , so the plan was to watch it with yearly MRIs .
In 2023 , close to the time of that year ’ s scan , Patricia started experiencing headaches , dizziness , and fatigue . In short time , the symptoms became intense . “ I thought I was having another stroke ,” she said .
Patricia went to the emergency room at the hospital near her home . A CAT scan revealed edema at the base of her skull . Her tumor had grown and was putting pressure on her brain . It was time to take action . The next morning she was transferred from the ER in West Virginia to AHN Forbes Hospital for additional tests .
Dr . Dabecco discussed surgical options with Patricia and her family . The first , a traditional craniotomy , requires a large incision at the hairline . The second , a new type of procedure called a minimally invasive supraorbital craniotomy , is done through the eyebrow .
“ Doing it in a noninvasive fashion helps with recovery ,” said Dr . Dabecco . “ Taking into account her other medical conditions , I wanted to provide the most minimally invasive option possible so she could heal faster .”
Patricia and her family agreed with that plan . They chose the minimally invasive procedure for both healing and cosmetic reasons . Patricia was able to go home for three days to spend time with her family before the surgery .
“ Dr . Dabecco was so calm and informative . He said everything would turn out great , and it did .”
— Patricia Trent
“ To clarify what was going on , we did an MRI ,” said Rocco Dabecco , DO , AHN neurosurgeon . “ Based on the growth of the tumor and her worsening symptoms , we determined the tumor should be removed .”
“ I was terrified , but Dr . Dabecco was very calm and soothing . He told me the risks , and how they would minimize them ,” said Patricia . “ He told me everything I needed to hear .”
The surgery was on Wednesday , and Patricia went home that Friday .
“ I was amazed . They didn ’ t even shave my eyebrow . Dr . Dabecco removed the entire tumor , and you can ’ t even tell I had surgery .” Patricia ’ s back to doing all the things she did before her surgery , and will continue to see Dr . Dabecco for yearly MRIs .
“ It ’ s worth the two-hour drive ,” she said . “ Brain surgery is the scariest thing in the world . You have this feeling you have to be brave , but it ’ s hard . The care team at Forbes put us all at ease . They want you to succeed .”