Patient Success Stories

When the da Vinci® Surgical System was approved by the FDA in 2009 for transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for resection of tumors of the pharynx, otorhinolaryngologists affiliated with the University of Texas Medical School at Houston (UTHealth) and Memorial Hermann-Texas…

Rosa Castillo was unaware that she had major health problems until her primary care physician, discovered high levels of calcium in routine blood work.  When the hypercalcemia persisted, she referred her to an endocrinologist. About 99 percent of all cases…

Surgery is the primary treatment for pituitary tumors and until the last decade, neurosurgeons favored the traditional microscopic sublabial transseptal approach – an incision under the lip, use of a retractor to push away nasal tissue and placement of a…

Toward the end of 2010 and well into 2011, 32-year-old Kurtis White had a persistent runny nose that he assumed was caused by allergies. After trying various over-the-counter medications for nearly six months – without relief – he made an…

It been a year since Matthew La Macchia was attacked by an American bulldog while playing with friends just down the street from his home. Matthew, who was eight years old at the time, suffered six wounds on the scalp…

The sudden onset of nasal congestion and loss of sense of smell are commonly associated with acute viral respiratory tract infections, but on rare occasions, these rather mundane symptoms can be signs of something much more serious.  Forty-year-old Johnie E….

Gayle Adamson has had sinus disease for virtually her entire life.  She started taking allergy shots in her late teens in an effort to mitigate her symptoms, but by the time she was in her early 30s, she was constantly…

Seventy-one-year-old Rose Vargas was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) several years ago based on her increasing shortness of breath and diminished exercise capacity. “I had never been sick before and suddenly, I couldn’t clean my house, walk the…

The Reverend Albert Williams had been preaching at Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Houston for nearly 10 years when he was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer, threatening his vocation.  When the malignancy recurred following radiation therapy, Rev. Williams was referred by…

Sudden and severe unilateral hearing loss is uncommon, especially in young people.  At any age, loss of hearing in one ear impairs communication, leading to feelings of isolation.  It limits understanding of distant speech and of words directed at the…