Popular Pastor has Surgery on a Tuesday, Delivers Sermon the Next Sunday

Sixty-two-year-old pastor Evelio Quintero is a self-described "go getter" who counts on his passion and energy to deliver inspirational sermons to his congregation each Sunday. So when he began to feel fatigued and noticed his peripheral vision was declining, he and others around him became concerned.

"I was exhausted," said Quintero, who lives in Eustis, Fla. "My stamina was gone. The congregation noticed my lack of enthusiasm, which just added to my anxiety about my health."

Quintero made an appointment with his doctor, who ordered a blood test. The doctor knew there was a problem when the test results revealed that Quintero's hormone levels were abnormal. To help him reach a firm diagnosis, the doctor ordered a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test, which is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians to better evaluate parts of the body and certain diseases that may not be assessed adequately with other imaging methods. Doctors discovered that Quintero had a pituitary tumor.

Quintero's doctor treated the tumor with medication, which caused severe headaches so Quintero stopped taking it. According to his doctor, surgery was the next best option, and fortunately, Quintero learned about a renowned surgeon who could help him.

Quintero sent his blood test and MRI results to internationally recognized neurological surgeon Santiago Figuereo, M.D. at the Miami Neurological Institute (www.miamini.com), a private practice specializing in minimally invasive surgeries for spine and brain disorders.

The pituitary gland is a small bean-shaped organ located in the center of the brain above the back of the nose. It produces several hormones, including prolactin, adrenocorticotropic hormone, growth hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone, which affect other glands and body functions and regulate the body's balance of hormones.

Pituitary tumors are divided into three groups�benign adenomas, invasive adenomas, and carcinomas�and may be either non-functioning or functioning. Quintero was diagnosed with a benign, functioning adenoma, which produced more than the normal levels of Prolactin. The extra hormones made by pituitary tumors may cause certain signs or symptoms of disease. Prolactin producing tumors may cause headaches, vision loss, impotence, or decreased sex drive.

"The risk of not removing a pituitary tumor is that it could grow, putting pressure on the optic nerve, and cause blindness," said Dr. Figuereo. "Because of the location of the tumor, Evelio was an ideal candidate for a minimally invasive technique called endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery."

Endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery is a minimally invasive alternative to traditional, open surgery for removing tumors of the brain and the pituitary gland. The patient is given general anesthesia, and the surgeon inserts an endoscope into the nasal canal toward the tumor's location, reaching the sphenoid sinus without external incision. Surgical instruments are inserted through the same nostril, the tumor is removed through the nostril, and the area is closed.

"Prior to minimally invasive surgery, we would have had to perform a craniotomy on Evelio, which would have meant a longer hospital stay, months of recovery, and more pain," said Dr. Figuereo. The traditional trans- nasal approach would have required destructive trauma to the nose with post-operative discomfort and risk of cosmetic deformity.

" With the endoscopic approach, sometimes is difficult to convince the patient that the surgery has taken place already."

Quintero's surgery was on a Tuesday. He drove home on a Thursday and was preaching again on Sunday.

"My wife wouldn't allow me to drive home from Miami, but I could have," joked Quintero.

Quintero has regular MRI scans in Central Florida and sends the results to Dr. Figuereo for review. The tumor is completely gone and Quintero's symptoms have disappeared.

"It's like I have a new lease on life," said Quintero.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
DARDET PUBLIC RELATIONS
Christine Dardet, APR
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chris@dardetpr.com

Debbie Liebross
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dliebross@bellsouth.net