The woman praised the ‘Hero’ surgeons, who saved her smile

A woman performing pioneering surgery to remove a tumor has described her surgeons as “heroes” as they managed to save her smile after avoiding facial paralysis and saving her smile.

In the county entream, the semolina sponsed from Caricafergus revealed a tumor in his salivary gland in December 2023 and was warned that the diagnosis of cancer could not be dismissed.

As the facial nerve was wrapped around the tumor, 28 -year -old was warned that surgery could partially cause facial paralysis, which could prevent her from being able to smile.

While the general surgery was available in Belfast, his family found experts in London who used a radical technique that included an MRI scan and a hologram.

This provided the surgeons a more accurate position of the nerve and tumor, which meant that they could work with greater accuracy and confidence that his face will remain unchanged and his smile would survive.

According to surgeons, the radical technique in the world of surgery is “braking tabos”.

PR Consultant Ms. Spens first felt a knot behind her ear in September 2023 when she was putting in a earrings.

After several visits to his GP and dentist, he was sent to his local hospital for an ultrasound and he was red-stunned as the need for immediate care.

With the risk of cancer, the family paid privately to the MRI scan, which confirmed a tumor.

“There was a risk of cancer and also a risk of severe or temporary facial paralysis – it was very scary,” said Ms. Spens.

He was told that he needed parotidectomy surgery, including removing a major salivary gland in his cheek called parotid gland.

The position of the parotid gland was important as it was preventing the tumor from damaging the facial tissue or damaging the vital structures including the facial nerve.

While General Surgeon could undergo surgery at Belfast Health Trust, Ms. Spens’s family found an expert oral and neck cancer surgical team in London.

He offered a leading treatment that used a high -tech MRI scan, producing a hologram that identified the exact position of the tumor and facial nerve before surgery.

A advisor head and neck surgeon Axal Sahal Sarkhofeller, a advisor working on Ms. Spens, stated that “minimum aggressive approach” was rare and was practiced by only a few surgeons.

Mr. Sanskofeller told BBC News Ni that the process had many benefits, which includes reducing the risk of weakness of the facial nerve and reducing the risk of the patient who develops the syndrome of FRE, which can unproach a person can unpredited saliva.

It causes low disruption in the shape of the face.

The surgery occurred in London in January 2024.

A few hours after the operation, Ms. Spens’s Mam, Margie button, went to meet her daughter and relieved her to see her smiling.

“She was in surgery for a few hours; my second daughter and I wandered around London just waiting for the call, we were very worried,” she said.

“Then we got a call to say that she was out of surgery and to see her sitting on the bed with such a beautiful smile, such a beautiful girl – it was all worth it,” said Ms. Button.

MRI scans and 3D models provide surgeons with greater accuracy, where the tumor is actually going to be in relation to the facial nerve; This also means that they can set up a surgical plan before going to the theater.

Mr. Sarkhofeller said that there was a small risk for one of the branches of the facial nerve, but it was already knowing and being able to plan around it meant that the operation was smooth.

Given the risks of surgery, Ms. Spens was immediately curious to see if there was a side effects, when she woke up.

“I got up from my surgery and was desperate to see a mirror to see if I could smile. I was feeling around my mouth; I thought I could – and a mirror confirmed that I could – still smile, I was very happy,” she said.

“My surgeons said that they could not believe that I was still able to smile; everyone was relieved and happy.”

A week after surgery, a biopsy confirmed that the tumor was gentle.

In a year, Suzi is still smiling.

Ms. Spens said that Anubhav made her realize how “delicate life” is.

“I was very lucky that my family found the surgeons and I was able to go to London,” she said.

“Being able to smile is one of the things you do not really think until you think that it can suddenly be taken away from you and at such a young age. I was just afraid of losing it.”

The family has not disclosed the cost of private operation, which included flights and hotel houses, but MS Button said there was no regrets and “the money was well spent”.

“While we had money, to be honest, if we were not, I think I would have started the house again,” he said.

“At that age, it was left in that situation, it would have been a life -changing.”