Columbia neurosurgeon, Michael B. Sisti talks about the treatment of meningiomas. To learn more about Dr. Sisti, please visit www.columbianeurosurgery.org/....
I just got MRI result today that I have a meningiomas. I have been on RU-vid since I've got the news and watched at least a dozen videos. Some video even say no meningiomas is benign, they all eventually turn to cancer, which caused my anxiety skyrocketing. This video is so clear, so reassuring and so making sense. It gives me so much comfort. I will be seeing specialist in one week. I know between now and then I don't have to super stress up. I like this doctor. I hope all the doctors would be as thoughtful, caring, and knowledgeable as he is.
I had a MRI on Thursday 18th, bc I've been experiencing pain in my head, it was diagnosed meningiomas on Friday. I had breast cancer in 2018 & had the cancer removed, now I have to deal with this.
Not because most of us Italians are kind and humble. He really is well read. I was just told I have a Meningioma and was planning to go to Columbia. This is a sign from God🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Oh wow what an amazing helpful video from an obviously highly professional and empathetic person. I have been diagnosed with a meningioma and have been so stressed since that day. It has been so reassuring to listen to your calm and thorough explanation of the problems or potential problems, the alternative approaches to treatment and the outcomes. I am so grateful to you. My best wishes for your continued success as a surgeon and in all your endeavours.
Very re-assuring. I was shocked and very worried (I'm 73) after an MRI revealed a meningioma in the left frontal lobe. After doing some research and hearing your video, I am less anxious, but will be working with a neurologist. Thanks for your explanation--very thorough and very helpful.
This surgeon is amazing, the way he explains everything. I’m an ex neuro nurse and my sister has just been diagnosed with meningioma. Ive talked her through but this I will sit. And watch with her. Thank you for taking he time to do this video.
Thank you so much for the compassion you are showing all of us with a Meningiomas. I am sending this to my children to watch as they are very concerned for my wellbeing.
Hope you are doing well. Did you undergo surgery. My dad is 79yrs and he is diagnosed with meningioma and sweet syndrome over head causing big lesions on the head
Fantastic doctor, three years in of removal of my meningioma (behind my right eye and right temporal bone) it was a successful surgery with the help of another optical surgeon along with Dr. Sisti. I was there 4 days and had good recovery after. Mine was little left over as he said if he needs to stop to give you quality of life he will stop. Year Later I was treated with gamma knife once only. It was in and out thing. I’m thankful that we found him and He is amazing. Thank you Dr. Sisti, Dr. Kazam Columbia and entire team. 🙏🏻
@@mhryzvi4491 It was January 2020, it was open skull they had to remove some of my temporal bone on the right side as I mentioned, the cut was like almost Wide C shape and had like from middle crown to near the ear, they don’t shave hair and they used staples to close the cut. After 8 days they removed the staples which wasn’t painful at all. Yes it was painful few first days but the best thing is you stay in the hospital for three to four days which makes it so easy to manage the pain. After that you can manage by your own by staying on top of your steroids and other hard meds. To be honest my surgery was on Jan 20th 2020 and I attending the wedding on February 9th , 2020 Remarkable out come. Yes few things to be noted. I still have numbness I do get some weird sensations I do get pressure behind my eye These always depends on person to person recovery Overall I’m happy and satisfied Thank you !!
I appreciate the clear and concise information. I genuinely appreciate that you inform others about getting second opinions and explaining exactly why. Your approach to person centered care is phenomenal and I wish every healthcare professional held the same tact as you.
Thank you! My tumor was 20 years old and it choose my brain stem. Now I am in a wheelchair and had extensive surgery. I appreciate everything you spoke about.
Love this dr. He rocks. In 2008 I was diagnosed with a Clival Meningioma. It was observed for the first few years. However, due to having a small child at that time, who shortly thereafter was diagnosed with some issues of his own. I put my care off. Late 2016-2017, I started to present with some significant issues. My meningioma grew rather significantly. He said to me that had I not come to see him when I did, I may have lost the ability to swallow. I had 5 days of treatment with the Gamma Knife Icon. Using the mask that he showed. I still have it. I can honestly say that despite having profound hearing loss, I am doing great. He's the best. .
PRAYERS FOR YOU ! I just watched your video for the very first time and I would like to thank you so very much for making your very special video to help others. I have had symptoms of a brain tumor for four months with severe excruciating pain in my head and in both ears and I am waiting for my MRI results and am Praying for them to find out why I have this horrific pain. I feel the same as yourself because what started as mild pain in my right ear, quickly went into both ears and excruciating pain in my head and both ears and I still dont know how this happened or why. I have been doing so much research on my symptoms and I think I might have acoustic neuroma but I will know this week my test results. I Pray that you are feeling better and thankyou again for making your video to help others. Robin xoxo
Thankyou so much for this Dr, so much the last 3 years with medical issues to incidentally discover a meningioma had me so anxious. You speak very well and make so much sense to the layman. Thankyou for your down to earth approach., very personable Dr.
You relaying that information with such clarity and warmth, I'd put my life in your hands in a blink. I wish you can remove my meningioma. Guess I'm too far in the Caribbean. And this bid is 2yrs old I see. Oh well, keep me in your prayers and Keep up the awesome job. (if ur still at it). Xoxo 🌻🙏🇹🇹
What a great doctor, my girl friend has recently been diagnosed with this and I will let her to know to contact this doc even if it means for her to travel to a different state .
I was diagnosed with a meningioma incidentally found following 1 seizure in November 2022. Had a 7 hour surgery to remove the tumor but my surgeon had to leave 2 pieces behind because of the location. Had 5 rounds of radiation 9 weeks after surgery. The surgery for me was a piece of cake. Never had any pain or discomfort. Unfortunately the radiation was the worse part because I ended up losing the hair on the top of my head. This was the first video I watched after being diagnosed and it was so comforting. Thank you!
I'm about to go through this myself, they got most of it out but are planning to radiate the last of it. Good to know I'll lose the hair. Did it grow back OK?
What a great video!... Thank you! I live in canada and would actually like to bring my wife to you ! Thank you for settling nerves! We're getting a referral to have my wife see a neurosurgeon here in Toronto... hopefully sooner than later! Thank you again!
Vision lost left eye, headaches, weakness, confusion,..memory loss,.. sudden crisis zone high blood pressure,…all started 6 months ago. Told I was having anxiety!! Went to get eye exam, and it was this doctor that saw the mass after dilating eyes. Did MRI and this “meningioma” was found at left parietal area. Took forever it seemed to get appointment with neurosurgeon last week,..but.. was canceled because doctor was out sick. Just went to ER yesterday evening just to spend 4 hours of wasted time! Sent home and cried all night because I just can’t take it anymore and don’t know where to turn anymore. I wish I was one of these patients that seemed to have been so fortunate to have found you Doc!!!
@@GadgetGal_ I’ve had the surgery to remove the tumor. I was sent to Neurosurgeon “DR. Arthur Day” in Houston Texas, due to the tumor being right on top of a major vein in brain. The tumor was removed January 3rd and I have noticed so many great changes since then and everyday that passes by!! It’s amazing the things I didn’t really even realize that the tumor was affecting all mostly on the right side of my body. I knew it was the cause of the first things I had mentioned,… but it was so much more to it all. It was basically slowly paralyzing me (by weakening my muscles) on the entire side of my body! Memory and confusion is improving as well. I walk better; stronger; my energy is back; my strength is improving; and it’s just amazing really. I was scared to go through the surgery, Im not going to lie,..but I knew if I didn’t have it, things were only going to get worse for me, so I felt that it was worth it in my opinion. The only thing I’m not sure of yet and the doctor as well, is why I had had some vision loss in the left eye, because the tumor was on the right side. However, the tumor was directly at the midline bordering to the right side. So, it could have been effecting the left side somewhat,.. either that or I could have had a mild stroke due to the very high blood pressure I was also having at the time, but that’s blood pressure has even improved now as well. I’m just so grateful for my Neurosurgeon Doctor Arthur Day in Houston, and my Neurosurgeon in my hometown who referred me out to him. He said that due to the large major vein under he tumor, it was a high risk for possible tearing of the vein, which could have caused major bleeding. That’s the main reason I was so scared to even have the surgery, but I’m so glad I did have it removed. I’ll continue to have to take seizure medication for at least 8 months, just as precautionary measures until total healing in the area of brain. I hope this was not too long of an answer to you, but I’m so very amazed and excited at the results of improving each and every day! I hope your doing well, and I wish you the best on your own tumor situation. All I can say about this experience,..is that I was in shock first of all when I was diagnosed with the meningioma tumor,..but it was non cancerous (as most of meningioma tumors are), which I was grateful for that at least. But, the thought of having the surgery terrified me actually. I’m just glad that I made the decision to have it removed. My family even notices all the differences since my surgery, and even tell me so. I was really getting worse off than I I even realized I guess. Thanks for sharing your information, and taking interest in how I am doing today. Best Wishes to You.❤️
@@janetspell1396 i had a baseball sized meningioma removed feb 1. They had to do an embolization to cutoff blood supply that was feeding the tumor. I am now 3 months post op and still have some side effects. I get floaters in my eyes, the little drifting squigglies, and a lot of pressure ontop or my head in the area the tumor was removed. When i stand up is when it really increased dramatically and i can actually see this spot on my head that goes up and down (throbbing/pulsating) is this normal and did you experience this? Im also sensitive to light as well. I get occasional ringing in the ears but it doesnt last.
@@janetspell1396ohh that's reassuring I'm very worried if I need to do operation. What size was ur tumor Mine is 8mm just newly diagnosed with calcified meningioma
Thank you doctor Sisti ! It”s because of your perfect and clear explanations and your capacity to make difficult and complicated situations seem easy, I decided to search and look for the Gamma Knife treatment. In my country there is no Gamma Knife and doctors don’t offer much options , neither explain things clearly. I found Instituto FlENI in Argentina. I was lucky, because the size of my meningioma was at it”s limit size. Everything went Ok. Now I feel so much relieve and in a couple of months I will have my first control MRI .
Thank you doctor for your important information. I was diagnosed with a small meningioma back in 2009 and up to now the tumour hasn't grown all that much. The tumour is in the meninges, located in the frontal lobe, between the two sections of the brain. I have MRI every six months and I only give authorisation to be operated on, when/if I begin to experience side effects. 😊
Thank you doctor 🙏 I was diagnosed almost 2 years ago and I am always worried about it even it has not grow bigger. After watching this video I feel better 😘 blessings to you my good doctor 🙏🫶🏽🙏
Hi Dr. Sisti, I just can not thank you enough. For doing this video. I’ve been so nervous. I have a meningoma detected 6 years ago. On the right side of my head. It’s just a little over one inch. Just a little above the temple. Have been being observed closely. My doctor is wonderful, and I trust him highly. Over the past six years. The tumor stayed the same. Last year. It grew just 1 centimeter. So we still left it alone. My most recent scan was two weeks ago. It showed I grew several more. I just don’t understand why. How this can happen? So my doctor is waiting one more year. For my final scan. He will be doing surgery after so. He’s only waiting the year out. Since the new tumors are yet so small. He wants to see the progress of them. Over one more year. I am asking,… is there any explanation for this? I appreciate any feedback you have to offer. Thank You in advance. Wishing you a very happy new year.🍾
How I wish my only 1 time met neurosurgeon- was like dr Michael B.Sisti- mine told maybe 5 sentences--"he is not good talker,"-somebody told me-- covid- came, nothing done--What happenned with Canadian doctors and medical system?? long story.... crying
Thank you for your detailed information, after getting a positive PET scan result two years ago, I still can’t get my thoracic surgeon who removed one of my lung lobes after the PET results showed activity in both lung and brain. Instead of just sharing results with my primary care doc, he holds results like a winning poker hand. Narcissism is a side effect of having so much power over another, you sir , do not appear to suffer such affliction!
Dr Michael B Sisti removed the 3 cm meningioma I had successfully. Truly he is an Amazing doctor!!!!!!! This video is helpful and if you have a brain tumor, consult with him. I was back to work in 3 weeks. I interviewed numerous neurosurgeon’s and picked the Best neurosurgeon and tumor expert! He is trustworthy, caring and professional with excellent follow up skills. His nurses are terrific as well.
Thank you so much for sharing. May I ask where was your meningioma located? I’m going through something similar and I have an appointment with Dr Sisti.
My left temple was swelling... a free clinic had me do a temporal artery biopsy after a round of prednisone... I started to hear voices on that crap... Didn't have arteoritis - I finally begged for a CAT scan (I had an angiofibrorma as a kid, I knew what a tomogram was, but not a cat) Found a Meningioma size of a soft ball. Had worn through my skull, pushed my left eye half way out of the socket, I had gone nuts, living in an unheated cabin. People telling you everything is fine helps. Nine hours of brain surgery is a hassle, and the titanium work by the plastic surgeon is as important as the neurosurgeon cleaning out the tumor. 4 yrs later... it's back! Level 3 fast mitosis (that tumor loves Ben & Jerry's). Need an ocular surgeon to clean up the work from 4 years ago. And health insurance.
My adopted daughter has a spinal meningioma that presented symptoms at 15 mos, it was partially resected snd grew back twice the size in 3 mos and we had Cyber Knife radiation. It returned this fall, after 1 yr from radiation. Her tumor was very aggressive and she is now in a wheelchair.
Do you see a flashing light in the corner of your eye? When I read my left eye closes, clouds in eye, nauseas, fatigue, fluttering hand, body jerks tiny, passed out twice, shoulder pain, but the worse thing is occipital headaches. I had a mri a year ago of my brain could a meningioma grow that fast? I’ve had Bell’s palsy seven times and I’m slightly paralyzed on one side of my face so I think it’s just that and I’m getting it again? Ty for your video it was interesting and educational.👍
I have been trying to get someone to do something for a year now,I have hard bone like shapes grown out onto my head,headaches,feeling sick,and thick fluid coming from my eyes.i was sent yo a dermatologist 😭
My friend was very scared when she first heard from an ER visit due to a headache that she has meningioma. And Dr Michael Sisti's video explanation is very re-assuring and calming. Can I ask if a "pt with a finding of 2 x 1.9 cm extra-axial mass adjacent to the left to the left frontal lobe consistent to meningioma be able to travel/fly for 16-20 hours twice in a month?"
I have a meningioma I had radiation on in 2011. I was told this week/yearly mri in 2022 that it grew 2.9 cm but was told 11cm tumor in the meckels cave is small. Even though I have double vision, balance problems, migraines, hearing loss, and have to wear prism eye classes, sleep most of the time now and really don’t have a life. My eye doctor told my I was losing my vision. Now I want surgery but my doctor wants me to just go foot for physical therapy. AND my liver specialist informed me after doing minor surgery for duct stones that I had a meningioma on my liver. Is that possible?
I had a lime sized meningioma (called it Manfred) removed in 2020 after two out of the blue seizures. Probably been there 10 years and never had a single headache! Now I have another much smaller one (called peanut) which is only 7mm which I may be having radiosurgery for.
I have cerebral left meningiom. Please advise me what can I do. I discover it last year! Thank you very much for your medical advices regarding it. My respect and gratitude. Greetings from Brasov, România !
I had a tumor removed 10 months ago i am now blind in my left eye and partial vision in my right. I had a mengioma and it was big. I had no symptoms so why am i almost blind now. I am not ok like you said we would be.
Doctor? Tough question….being a woman of 75, with this kind of tumor on the top part of my brain, and a neurosurgeon, keeping an eye on it with a yearly MRI, so far has not recommended any type of gamma, knife or surgery. Is there a year if you have no real symptoms to speak of that they would stop doing MRIs or would start to suggest gamma, knife, or surgery?
Where was yours and what type of pain? I was just diagnosed after suffering with trigeminal neuralgia for a year. I have 1.8 cm petroclival meningioma and am waiting to speak to a surgeon
@@vanessawallace8244 My. First brain tumor was on the left side from close to my ear I had surgery for that one 12 years ago and my specialist has to keep an eye on it as it has started to grow back but very slow. My meningioma started in the middle of my head and started to grow slowly down my left side. I had it removed 3 months ago and I still have aches and pains. But not as bad as what they were last year. My initial pain became unbearable and it was just under 2 cm I told my surgeon I wanted this out. I had the surgery last October. I cannot remember what it actually was. All the Surgeon told me he had to keep an eye out as this one could also grow back. I am trying to do things I want to do as you never know what will happen tomorrow.
@@liamichael7673 prayers for you. My pain is unbearable I just want this thing removed asap the headaches and facial pain is debilitating. I pray yours doesn’t grow back and that your pain goes away 🙏🏼
I’m 33 I have a meningioma I have left sided weakness. I went to ER with stroke like symptoms where they found the tumor but they don’t want to treat it even though I’ve been dealing with left sided weakness and also have been having headaches over the past several years
I had headaches every morning for 30 years and finally advised by a doctor who specialization was treating post menopausal women to get a CT scan and had a meningioma which was surgically removed. After no headaches
I would really like to know the difference between a brain tumor and a Heterogeneous 12mm. This was found with a MRI, I have severe headaches every morning nauseated all day long losing sight in my right eye see black spots all the time. losing words when I'm speaking.
Thank you very much Doctor Sir for this explanation. I have suprasellar Meningioma of size 24*26*26 mm. I have lost 90% vision in my left eye but my right eye is good. Vision in right eye has just started to deteriorate. However, i do not have any other symptoms. The tumor is a calcified one. At present, my neuro surgeon has advised me observation. In his opinion, the radio treatment will not be very effective in my case because of the calcification. Dr has also told that many nerves are connected to the tumor. My age is 71 and i do not have any other medical issue and i am quite active. I am unable to finalize which combination of treatment will be fine for me. I am from India. Can you please guide me through remote. I will be very thankful to you.
Thank you doc! My wife are diagnosed right now with meningioma shes schedule for CT’s Can by march.. I’m so worried about her she can’t sleep because of the headache..
@@prissyspicnics I'm so sorry you have horrible headaches. Have you gotten any further help/information? I'm trying to research info on this for my father.
I just had a focal seizure like a week and a half ago. They only found one calcified meningioma about 4.3 cm on my right frontal/parietal lobes. I’m having surgery to remove it on 10/18/21. This video gave me some more optimism with my outcome. I hope and pray you will be okay too. Thank you for commenting and sharing. God bless.
@@mattscott6591 Thanks for asking Matt. It was Grade 1. I’m doing well. Had some setbacks after surgery due to where the tumor was pressing. I’m still on seizure meds but all things considering I’ve been very blessed. Let me know if you have any specific questions and I be glad to tell you about my experience. God brought people in my life who went through a similar experience to help me. I would like to help others in the same way if I can.
@@rbye thank you so much ! Where was your tumor located & how big was it? I was on anti seizure meds for up until about a week or teo after surgery and then was weened off. Also did you have a shunt or drain in when u came out of surgery? I did not have one and im wondering if the pressure and tingling ontop is due to excess fluid buildup. I can actually see the sinking or collapsing of the area as it throbs.
@@mattscott6591 My tumor was 4.5cm and was in the right posterior frontal and parietal lobes. So my incision was on the top of my head-like a big “C”. They pretty much made a moon roof out of my skull and then put it back. I didn’t have a drain or a shunt. I think that’s more common with incisions on the side of the head. My head did throb a lot and it felt like it was moving like a newborn baby’s soft spot but I don’t think it was actually pulsing. I couldn’t stand air being blown on my incision because my scalp would contract and hurt.
What’s the best way to set up 2nd opinion? My daughter is 18 and had a massive seizure leading to meningioma discovery in speech and language center. Surgery wasn’t able to fully remove and we are now being recommended for gamma knife radiation. I know these are the most common treatments but perhaps a 2nd opinion will give us peace of mind.
Did you get a second opinion? Radiology/Oncology told me since i had a grade 2 meningioma, radiation is necessary to help prevent it from growing back and to kill off any residual.
@@mattscott6591 her tumor is 3.5cm and causing seizures so we def have to do the gamma knife, I am hopeful it will help stop growth and maybe even slowly cause venous occlusion so the blood flow will shift to other vessels and allow them to someday remove the tumor. Right now the vessels running through the tumor are actively draining the speech and communication center
@@mattscott6591 they don't want to cut off the vessels cause they are imperative for her speech and language but they hope the inflammation from gamma knife may slowly allow the flow of blood to re-route to new areas instead
I had a baseball sized meningioma removed 2/1/22. I didn’t have a shunt, it is now about 3 weeks post-op. I have pressure i can feel on top of my head in the spot the tumor was previously. Is this excess fluid buildup? Or is this just normal and expected post-op?
@@katebruno9255 i actually feel the same. I am going on 3 months post op. I still have the pressure ontop of the head, dizziness when i get up accompanied by a little blurred vision. I wonder how long this normally lasts.
@@mattscott6591 wow, I would speak with your surgeon, I assume it gets better slowly over time but they may need to put you on steroids or something for inflammation
@@katebruno9255 i spoke to him through his assistant, i have followup my 3 month apt may 5. I will ask him about that but they keep telling me everything looks good on the scans. But i hear theres some stuff that they miss even on mri scans with cerebral spinal fluid leak and stuff. My hope is everything is ok and they are not missing anything. But that pressure doesnt really seem to be improving. Sometimes its real intense.
Watching the meningioma for growth is good, but watching for increase in growth rate sounds better. From successive growth data the growth rate can be computed. I suppose you do that.
Not familiar where exactly is c1 and c2. Mine grew in the middle and life hasn’t been the same since I found out i have a meningioma. I hope you’re okay, kabayan. It’s hard when no one really understands how you feel.
Hi, Merry Christmas. I have had cancer 3 times, thyroid, near thyroid and cervical. August 2022 I was told I have a 10ml x 6ml meningioma. Drs have advised watch and see however concerned about metastasis.. my sister had same tumour only she didn’t know.. hers ruptured an artery we found out after she died suddenly July 2020.. 😢 My brother also has a brain tumour sitting on his optic nerve he’s having surgery January 2023. 🙏 I’m not worried about my tumour but I was shocked to learn about it. My oncologist suggested a CT scan because of my sister and brother. Thankyou for this video. PS 2 neurosurgeons have said it could be removed however that is risky. It’s sitting on the right side of my head up between my ear and temple. If that makes sense. Plus I have this Hyperostosis Frontalis Interna I noticed my eyebrows disappeared the bone became very thick excruciatingly painful my forehead is painful and I get headaches and blurred vision.. The pain in my eyebrow bone is 24/7 My hairline has gone way back.. Oh well I’m here
We're going to be okay for 10 years you mean??? NO mention of after treatment prognosis, diet affects, I heard about salt being an irritant, and so many other ways of dealing with this before SURGERY $$$$$$$$$ is needed.
Thankyou so much for this Dr, so much the last 3 years with medical issues to incidentally discover a meningioma had me so anxious. You speak very well and make so much sense to the layman. Thankyou for your down to earth approach., very personable Dr.
@@MsNan00 no I’ve sent through a referral to see a neurologist, I don’t have an appointment yet, only found out last week, wish I’d never had the scan. I was having swirling episodes which they’ve put down to vertigo which I’ve never had before. Although I’m on medication for a PE (one medication caused the pulmonary embolism) so I’m suspicious it’s that even though they say it’s not, it’s been a domino effect from one medication to another. Of course as this Dr says you know yourself, however some Specialists don’t listen and quote from the textbook. If the neurologist here isn’t up to par, I’ll be trying for a remote consult with Dr Sisti
@@user-ck9ng8tp4le too wish I would never had the CT scan at ER. Blood pressure was high that's why Dr told me we need to do scan to check if you have stroke after hypertension. Found out the meningioma
It’s 2.7 cm by 1.8 by 2.2 top of brain bit to right I think. I hope you go well too, What size and where is it located. I’m in Australia, are you in USA
