Patient Success Stories

Jeff Cobb had surgery for nasal polyposis 23 years ago and vowed he would never go through it again. “The surgery was more or less successful, but it was a painful experience for me with a long recovery,” says Cobb,…

Hyperparathyroidism occurs in people in every age group but is most common in patients in their 50s, 60s, and 70s. When father and daughter Chris and Macayla Potter were both diagnosed with hypercalcemia, otorhinolaryngologist Ron Karni, MD, suspected a genetic…

Tumor. A small word that elicits big feelings. Carolyn Naman’s world turned upside down when her doctor explained one of her parathyroids had developed a benign tumor and would need to be removed. That marked the beginning of a long…

Often it’s the little things that give a patient the courage to carry on with a tough treatment. Spike Sturdivant found the medical and moral support he needed in otorhinolaryngologist Amber Luong, MD, PhD, and radiation oncologist Angel Blanco, MD,…

To have oropharyngeal cancer once and be cured without radiation therapy is more than luck. It is the sign of an attentive patient, a responsive physician and quick action. To have a recurrence four years later, and once again avoid…

Alisha Alfred was at work on the Spirit Airlines baggage crew at George Bush Intercontinental Airport as they started to offload luggage from an arriving flight. “I was reaching for a bag and my scarf got stuck in the conveyor…

Internationally recognized rhinologist Martin J. Citardi, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at McGovern Medical School, does his utmost to help patients with nasal polyps avoid sinus surgery. That commitment has led him to…

The ability to smell adds immeasurably to our experience of life and the way we relate to our surroundings. When Larry Simmons lost his sense of smell, he also lost the ability to taste. Both senses dimmed gradually over the…

When Douglas Stanley, MD, first examined Cheryel Olin, she complained of continuous postnasal drip. She had been diagnosed with nearly continuous sinus infections, and received one round of antibiotics and steroids after another—without benefit. “For a year my voice sounded…

In a surgical procedure performed at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, otorhinolaryngologist Ron Karni, MD, and gastroenterologist Nirav Thosani, MD, opened a complete esophageal stenosis for patient Bennie Richardson. The two physicians are known for their skill and for helping patients…