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| 'My surgeon saved my smile with hologram technology' | |
| (21 days later) | |
| Susannah Morgan woke up from surgery with temporary paralysis of her face | Susannah Morgan woke up from surgery with temporary paralysis of her face |
| When Susannah Morgan learned that an operation to remove a benign tumour in her neck could leave her with a crooked smile she was "frantic". | When Susannah Morgan learned that an operation to remove a benign tumour in her neck could leave her with a crooked smile she was "frantic". |
| The 45-year-old was advised to have it removed in case it turned cancerous but she was warned the surgery would also leave her with a dent in her neck and possible paralysis. | The 45-year-old was advised to have it removed in case it turned cancerous but she was warned the surgery would also leave her with a dent in her neck and possible paralysis. |
| Desperate to avoid being permanently disfigured, she researched alternatives and discovered a new technique using a hologram which could save her smile. | Desperate to avoid being permanently disfigured, she researched alternatives and discovered a new technique using a hologram which could save her smile. |
| Last month the mother-of-one, from Edinburgh, became the first person to undergo the pioneering operation in Scotland. | Last month the mother-of-one, from Edinburgh, became the first person to undergo the pioneering operation in Scotland. |
| Susannah was the first person to have the operation in Scotland | Susannah was the first person to have the operation in Scotland |
| She was initially told that, to remove the pleomorphic adenoma, surgeons would have to cut out her largest salivary gland, which contains the facial nerve. | She was initially told that, to remove the pleomorphic adenoma, surgeons would have to cut out her largest salivary gland, which contains the facial nerve. |
| But the new hologram technique allows surgeons to pinpoint the exact location of the facial nerve, leaving less chance of it being severed. | But the new hologram technique allows surgeons to pinpoint the exact location of the facial nerve, leaving less chance of it being severed. |
| It also allows surgeons to open up the salivary gland, rather than remove it. | It also allows surgeons to open up the salivary gland, rather than remove it. |
| Susannah paid to have a hi-tech MRI scan in London, which produced a hologram. | Susannah paid to have a hi-tech MRI scan in London, which produced a hologram. |
| It was then used by Iain Nixon, the surgeon who performed the operation, in Livingston, West Lothian, last month. | It was then used by Iain Nixon, the surgeon who performed the operation, in Livingston, West Lothian, last month. |
| "Iain has saved my smile, I'm so thankful to him," Susannah told BBC Scotland News. | "Iain has saved my smile, I'm so thankful to him," Susannah told BBC Scotland News. |
| "I feel on top of the world, I'm on a high and it's giving me a real buzz." | "I feel on top of the world, I'm on a high and it's giving me a real buzz." |
| The hologram: The blue section is the tumour with the yellow facial nerve running through it. | The hologram: The blue section is the tumour with the yellow facial nerve running through it. |
| When she woke from surgery, Susannah's smile was crooked - but medics explained this was temporary because the facial nerve had to be moved to get to the tumour. | When she woke from surgery, Susannah's smile was crooked - but medics explained this was temporary because the facial nerve had to be moved to get to the tumour. |
| "I cried when I saw my squint smile straight after the surgery so to think it could have been permanent if Iain hadn't used this pioneering technique doesn't bear thinking about," she said. | "I cried when I saw my squint smile straight after the surgery so to think it could have been permanent if Iain hadn't used this pioneering technique doesn't bear thinking about," she said. |
| "He had to lift the facial nerve, which is like a fine bit of spaghetti, to get to the tumour and because he had to man-handle it they say it gets bruised so that weakens it temporarily." | "He had to lift the facial nerve, which is like a fine bit of spaghetti, to get to the tumour and because he had to man-handle it they say it gets bruised so that weakens it temporarily." |
| She said if it had been cut by accident during the operation then she would have had permanent paralysis in her face. | She said if it had been cut by accident during the operation then she would have had permanent paralysis in her face. |
| The new hologram technique made it less likely the surgeon would have an accident. | The new hologram technique made it less likely the surgeon would have an accident. |
| Susannah Morgan (L) is a keen skier | Susannah Morgan (L) is a keen skier |
| Susannah first went to the doctor at the end of November 2022 after finding a lump under her ear. | Susannah first went to the doctor at the end of November 2022 after finding a lump under her ear. |
| However, the training doctor thought it was just a salivary stone and she was told to eat sour sweets to get the salivary juices going. | However, the training doctor thought it was just a salivary stone and she was told to eat sour sweets to get the salivary juices going. |
| "It's such a rare thing I've got that a lot of GPs don't know about it and I had bloods taken and they were all fine so it was just dismissed. | "It's such a rare thing I've got that a lot of GPs don't know about it and I had bloods taken and they were all fine so it was just dismissed. |
| "I didn't think too much of it because I just thought it was a bit swollen and didn't think it was a tumour." | "I didn't think too much of it because I just thought it was a bit swollen and didn't think it was a tumour." |
| But then it started growing and she could see it bulging out of her neck until it reached 3.5cm (1in) so she returned to the doctor a year later. | But then it started growing and she could see it bulging out of her neck until it reached 3.5cm (1in) so she returned to the doctor a year later. |
| "I was really shocked when I was told it was a tumour. I was relived to hear it was benign but he told me if he didn't get it out it could turn cancerous." | "I was really shocked when I was told it was a tumour. I was relived to hear it was benign but he told me if he didn't get it out it could turn cancerous." |
| "Some people chose not to have surgery because it's really scary to have surgery on your facial nerve because there is a lot of risk to it." | "Some people chose not to have surgery because it's really scary to have surgery on your facial nerve because there is a lot of risk to it." |
| Iain Nixon, who performed the surgery, said he expected the "exciting" and pioneering technique would be common practice in the future. | Iain Nixon, who performed the surgery, said he expected the "exciting" and pioneering technique would be common practice in the future. |
| Mr Nixon, Susannah's surgeon, said people have six major saliva glands and Susannah's tumour was on the largest one under the ear. | Mr Nixon, Susannah's surgeon, said people have six major saliva glands and Susannah's tumour was on the largest one under the ear. |
| "This is pioneering technology and is allowing a more minimally invasive approach to tumour surgery which can be quite disfiguring and this heralds the possibility of surgery with a lower side effect profile as a result. | "This is pioneering technology and is allowing a more minimally invasive approach to tumour surgery which can be quite disfiguring and this heralds the possibility of surgery with a lower side effect profile as a result. |
| "With a traditional operation you lift up the skin and you've got to be careful so that you don't damage the nerve because you know it must be close. | "With a traditional operation you lift up the skin and you've got to be careful so that you don't damage the nerve because you know it must be close. |
| "But if you know where it is before you start you can be much more confident and more targeted. | "But if you know where it is before you start you can be much more confident and more targeted. |
| "That is the advantage of this pioneering technology and it makes it even safer." | "That is the advantage of this pioneering technology and it makes it even safer." |
| He added that the operation had saved her smile and stopped her having a dent in her neck. | He added that the operation had saved her smile and stopped her having a dent in her neck. |
| "It is very exciting and I think this will become standard procedure in the future." | "It is very exciting and I think this will become standard procedure in the future." |