Three years ago, Gail Cohen (Gail Cohen) spent a day on the beach when he felt a lump on the back of his left knee and then began to feel numbness in his feet. This is a terrifying experience for anyone, but This is especially true for a competitive ballroom dancer.

Cohen, 60, already has benign brain tumors and lung cancer, and she knows how important it is not to ignore her symptoms. She turned to the University of Pennsylvania, where she had been treated before, and was eventually diagnosed with a benign schwannoma, a tumor that grows in the nerve sheath of the peripheral nervous system (not the nervous system part of the brain). Or spinal cord.

Because the schwannoma tumor is in an unstable location, it is difficult to remove and requires a skilled surgeon. Cohen was referred to Dr. Zarina Ali, Neurosurgeon new Pennsylvania Nerve Center, Who had the operation.

The Pennsylvania Nerve Center in College Station is The first interdisciplinary facility Nerve diseases can be treated in the area, from carpal tunnel syndrome to more debilitating spinal cord injuries, nerve trauma, nerve tethering, nerve compression and nerve tumors.

This facility brings together neurosurgeons, plastic surgeons, physical therapists, orthopedics, neurologists and radiologists in one place.

“What I like most about (Ali) is that she makes me clearly understand my choices and the risks involved,” Cohen told PhillyVoice. “She gave me all the information, but let this decision belong to me.”

Ali believes that she can successfully remove the tumor and return Cohen to the dance world, but it is always possible to make the feet lose sensation. If that happens, it will mark the end of her national standard dance career that started two years ago.

However, if Cohen decides not to have surgery, then further nerve damage is also at risk.

Cohen of Ventnor, New Jersey, became obsessed with ballroom dancing after recovering from brain surgery. A friend asked her to join her free course. She liked it very much, so she kept going.

Cohen found that dancing was indeed very useful for her mind and helped her with some of the side effects she still encounters after brain surgery. Her favorite dances are waltz, fox trot, rumba and chacha.

In her time Diagnosis of schwannoma, She is already dancing. Whether to accept surgery is a difficult decision, but Cohen knew she didn’t want to stop dancing.

The weekend before the surgery, Cohen participated in a competition. She described it as bittersweet because she knew she might never dance again.

Although the operation was successful, she resumed dancing within four weeks and participated in the competition within eight weeks. She now spends 10 to 12 hours a week in the Storm Ballroom Dance Centre.

Since returning to the dance floor, Gale has won many different awards while participating in the “Dancer Cup” tour, including the best student overall. Her dancing partner is Tommy Radon, and he and his wife Jennifer jointly own the Storm Ballroom Dance Center.

Radon said: “It’s amazing how she experienced her own development. She really worked hard to be what she is today.” “I respect her very much and I am honored to dance with her. She taught me a lot about power.”

Cohen attributed her full recovery to Ali and her employees. She believes that they should take care of the entire patient, not just the physical illness. She said that Ali called her directly the day after the operation to check her, and the nurse practitioners are always busy.

Cohen said Ali’s staff has been providing support and checked her physical and emotional performance. They encouraged her to call her when she had any questions or concerns.

She said: “Dr. Ali’s method is great.” “I want to say that Payne brought back my body, but dancing brought back my soul.”

Cutting-edge expertise

Ali, the co-director of the Pennsylvania Neurological Center, has extensive experience in both benign and malignant tumors.

She said: “Diagnosis is a vital part.” “Gail came to me after finding the tumor. She also has previous tumors, so it is possible that malignant tumors may develop.”

Ali said the goal is to get rid of Cohen’s tumor while maintaining nerve function. She used Penn’s standard microsurgical technique to remove the neuroma, which is a routine method.

She also used a dye that binds protein intravenously, Indocyanine green, As part of a preliminary study to visualize tumors. The dye glows brightly under infrared light, making it easier for surgeons to separate nerve follicles from tumors.

For Ali, when treating patients like Cohen, it is not just surgical skills that are important.

Ali said: “The most important thing is to understand how the problem affects their daily lives.” “This is a combination of risk and benefit for me, so I can provide them with a framework for what I can do for them.

“The fact that Gail is a ballroom dancer is very important. She is worried about the loss of function of the foot. I know she has a tumor, and I know I can cure it and keep her dancing.”

Interdisciplinary approach

Patients with neurological diseases usually have complex cases and require the care of multidisciplinary experts, but lack convenient ways to build bridges between doctors.

Sometimes, it may take a while to find the correct diagnosis, otherwise the patient may ignore their symptoms at first. Said Dr. L. Scott Levin, director of plastic surgery at the University of Pennsylvania and co-director of the Pennsylvania Neurological Center. FIn many cases, time is of the essence and may change the outcome. The purpose of the nerve center is to focus their care, but also to determine better ways to care for neurological patients.

Ali said: “We want to see how to better deal with highly complex problems.” “Many patients have suffered neurological trauma, so they can see the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where the ultrasound department is nearby.”

Ali pointed out that she had a patient recently and he walked a long distance to visit her. Within a day, they were able to install the stent for her and arrange all the tests they needed to provide diagnosis and recommended treatment.

Ali encourages other doctors to refer neurological patients to centers like Penn’s, where staff spare no effort to remove schwannomas and treat brachial plexus injuries.

The brachial plexus is a bundle of nerves that connect the neck and trunk of the spinal cord (C5-T1). These are the nerves that control the movement of the wrist, hand, and arm.

These nerves may be injured by too much pressure, too much pressure, or overstretching. They may also be damaged by cancer or radiation therapy. These injuries usually require surgery to repair the damage.

She said: “We can provide a higher level of care, so early diagnosis and referral are important.”