May 25, 2009 -- For patients at Springfield Clinic, the removal of certain skull based tumors has been made easier through a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure. Robert Finch MD, specialist in Otolaryngology (ENT) and Brian Russell MD, neurological surgeon, collaborate on a remarkable surgical method which removes a tumor, with image guidance, through the patient’s nose.
Karen Keen, a local registered nurse, was recently diagnosed with a pituitary tumor. “I was having headaches and some visual changes, so for a long time, I thought it was my glasses. I finally saw the nurse practitioner at Dr. Morton’s office and she ordered an MRI, which showed a pituitary tumor pressing on my right optic nerve,” Karen recalled. “I’m a nurse, so I did quite a bit of research and talked to a lot of people after my tumor was discovered. This was surgery on my brain, so I wanted to make sure I knew all the options.”
For many years, the most common tumor removal method involved an incision inside the patient’s upper lip. Following surgery, the patient’s nose would be packed for days to absorb drainage from the surgical site, which would frequently result in an elongated hospital stay, as well as physical symptoms of numbness, discomfort, and difficulty eating and drinking.
Karen was planning on going out of state to have the procedure done when she discovered Drs. Finch and Russell performed it locally. “I knew both of these doctors through my work, so I was very confident in their abilities and experience. I would not have done it any other way.”
The procedure, technically known as Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Hypophysectomy, allows patients to recover more quickly with less pain and fewer side effects. Dr. Finch noted, “Our patients can often go home the next day and there’s little or no packing to manage. Patients may experience a little tenderness or mild congestion, but the difference in the recovery is days instead of weeks.”
“The surgery from start to finish was done in about five hours. I was in on Monday, went home on Tuesday and was back to work in three weeks instead of six or eight.” Karen added there was very little pain and she required minimal post operative medication.
Dr. Robert E. Finch
Dr. Finch is a board-certified specialist in Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery. A native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, he earned a medical degree from University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham, Alabama, followed by an internship at St. Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. He continued his medical training with a residency in Otolaryngology at University of Wisconsin Center for Health Sciences in Madison and completed a fellowship in Head & Neck Surgery, also at Wisconsin.
After several years in private practice, he joined Springfield Clinic in 1987.
He was the first surgeon in the Springfield area to perform sinus endoscopy and continues to be a leader in bringing advanced and innovative treatments to Central Illinois. Dr. Finch has special interests in voice disorders and uses video-stroboscopy of the larynx, a new and highly advanced diagnostic tool for diagnosing and treating voice disorders.
Dr. Brian K. Russell
Dr. Russell is a graduate of SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois. Following medical school and internship at SIU, Dr. Russell completed his training in Neurosurgery at University of Kansas Medical Center, College of Health Schienes and Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri.
With more than 20 years in medical practice, Dr. Russell maintains board-certification in Neurological Surgery. He is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the Illinois State Neurological Society in addition to several other professional associations.
He provides comprehensive evaluation and treatment in surgical disorders of the brain, spine and peripheral nerves. Dr. Russell’s special interests include lumbar disk disease and pituitary tumors.