Susannah Morgan’s life took an unexpected turn after a benign tumor in her neck threatened her smile. But with the help of an innovative new technique using hologram technology, she avoided permanent facial paralysis and is now smiling again—thanks to her surgeon’s pioneering approach.
The Risk of Losing a Smile
When Susannah Morgan, a 45-year-old mother from Edinburgh, was diagnosed with a pleomorphic adenoma in her neck, the stakes couldn’t have been higher. While the tumor was benign, there was a looming fear: the surgery needed to remove it might result in a crooked smile or even facial paralysis.
She was faced with the sobering reality that the procedure could involve cutting out her largest salivary gland, which housed the critical facial nerve. The risk of damaging the nerve and leaving her with permanent disfigurement was real. That’s when she decided to explore all possible options, desperate to avoid a lifetime of living with the consequences.
A Revolutionary Solution
While researching her options, Susannah came across an incredible new technique that could change the course of her surgery: the use of holograms. This cutting-edge technology offers a way for surgeons to view 3D images of a patient’s anatomy, providing a detailed view of the facial nerve’s exact location, something that traditional methods couldn’t offer.
The hologram allowed the surgical team to target the tumor precisely while minimizing the risk of nerve damage. Rather than removing the salivary gland entirely, the new technique made it possible to simply open it up, protecting the delicate facial nerve.
The Pioneering Surgery
In November, Susannah became the first patient in Scotland to undergo this groundbreaking surgery. She paid for an advanced MRI scan in London, which generated the hologram used by Iain Nixon, her surgeon at Livingston’s hospital.
The process was nothing short of revolutionary. The hologram displayed the tumor as a blue mass, with the yellow facial nerve clearly visible running through it. This vivid image allowed Dr. Nixon to guide his surgical instruments precisely, avoiding the nerve while removing the tumor.
As Susannah recalled, “Iain has saved my smile, I’m so thankful to him.”
A Temporary Setback
When Susannah woke up from the surgery, the temporary result was not what she had hoped for. Her smile was crooked, a condition that immediately alarmed her. But her medical team reassured her that this was a temporary effect, as the facial nerve had been gently moved during the procedure.
“I cried when I saw my squint smile right after the surgery,” Susannah admitted. “To think it could have been permanent if Iain hadn’t used this pioneering technique doesn’t bear thinking about.”
The nerves, she learned, had been temporarily bruised from the movement, but the technology ensured that the nerve hadn’t been severed, which could have led to permanent paralysis.
The Hologram’s Impact on Surgery
The hologram allowed Susannah’s surgeon to carefully manipulate the nerve during the operation, an approach that drastically reduced the chances of accidental damage.
In a typical procedure, the surgical team might have to guess the exact location of the facial nerve, which can lead to unintended consequences. But with the hologram guiding the way, Dr. Nixon could see exactly where to make his incisions and how to carefully move the nerve without harming it.
The technology, while still in its early stages, is proving to be a game-changer for surgeries like Susannah’s, offering patients like her a better chance of preserving their facial features.
The Recovery and the Smile
As the days passed, Susannah’s smile gradually returned to normal. Though the initial post-surgery result was alarming, she found comfort in knowing that the temporary changes were part of the healing process.
Her recovery was remarkable, and within weeks, her facial nerve regained full function. The temporary paralysis in her smile faded away, and her face was once again as she remembered it.
Her story is one of resilience and hope, showing how new medical technologies can not only save lives but also preserve something as fundamental as a smile.
