The preschool teacher refused to give up hope. She had already undergone two surgeries in four years in her native Honduras, in unsuccessful attempts to remove the pituitary tumor nestled at the center of her brain. Time was of the essence: The growth was squeezing her optic nerve, and the pressure was eroding her vision.
“I was going blind," said Martha Elena Palma. “I never missed one day of work, but I felt so tired all the time.”
That’s when Palma heard about Endeavor Health neurosurgeon Ricky H. Wong, MD, and otolaryngology surgeon Joseph R. Raviv, MD, two nationally renowned experts in treating pituitary tumors like hers. The two specialize in minimally invasive endoscopic endonasal surgery. This means the surgery is done using cameras through the nose without any incisions, and patients can typically leave the hospital in one or two days.
Palma and her family determined to move heaven and earth to travel to the United States to see the doctors. After a video consultation, her date for surgery was scheduled and Palma made preparations to fly to Chicago for what she prayed would her third and final surgery.
Location of pituitary tumor and minimally invasive approach
The pituitary is a tiny endocrine gland located at the base of the brain surrounded by critical nerves and blood vessels. This gland releases hormones that regulate nearly all the functions in the body.
While Palma’s tumor was thankfully benign, its proximity to nearby structures meant that the consequences of leaving it untreated could be devastating. Its location also meant that conventional approaches involving incisions would be a difficult recovery.
On the day of her surgery, “we performed an endoscopic endonasal approach to remove Ms. Palma’s large pituitary tumor,” Dr. Wong added.
“We were able to remove the entire tumor while preserving her normal pituitary gland. More important, we were even able to preserve her pituitary hormone function. She did extraordinarily well and was discharged the next morning.”
The successful outcome was exactly what Palmas had prayed for back in Honduras. Her eyesight and energy were almost instantly restored. “Her surgery went great,” said Dr. Raviv. “It was what you always want it to be: Uneventful.”
A side-by-side partnership forged in the OR
Drs. Wong and Raviv point to their longtime collaboration in and out of the operating room as the key to their track record of successful outcomes and innovation for their patients.
“Dr. Wong and I have been doing this surgery together now for almost a decade,” said Dr. Raviv. “We spend a lot of time discussing cases. We spend a lot of time in the lab working and teaching courses. When you build the volume of cases we have had together, you feel good about having seen a lot and being able to handle whatever comes your way. We push ourselves a little bit every time we work together, because the other person is right there, shoulder-to-shoulder next to you, and seeing the same thing. We don’t settle.”
Back to Honduras, back to her life
In September 2024, Palmas was in the exam room at Endeavor Health’s Skokie Hospital, having her last in-person check-up with the two doctors. In just a few days, she and her family would fly home to Intibucá, Honduras.
Palma wiped away tears of joy at being on the other side of her five-year search for a cure. Palma said she thanks God for the day she first learned of Doctors Wong and Raviv. “I was almost blind,” she said. “Now my eyesight and my energy are back. My life is back. Now you know why I am crying.”
“It is important to note that Martha is a teacher in Honduras,” added Dr. Wong. “She made tremendous sacrifices to be able to come to the United States to seek treatment. The weight of her trust in us was never lost and Dr. Raviv and I were both deeply honored and humbled by the entire process.”
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