Patient Success Stories

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…

The rare autoimmune disorder called granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), formerly known as Wegener’s granulomatosis, may develop suddenly or emerge over a period of months. In the case of 55-year-old Mark Phillips, the condition came on as symptoms of sudden, recurrent…

Following renal failure and four years of dialysis, 26-year-old Kayla Williams, LVN, of Caldwell, Texas, developed secondary hyperparathyroidism with severe bone pain. She is the beneficiary of closely coordinated interdisciplinary care delivered by physicians affiliated with the Kidney and Kidney/Pancreas…

After chemotherapy and radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal cancer, Esther Urdiales had an unusually complicated recovery of her ability to swallow. “Esther’s story is one of victory through our collaboration with TIRR Memorial Hermann’s Speech Therapy Program,” says Ron Karni, MD,…