On Lucas McCulley’s face, the tumor that physicians describe as being the most severe and intricate they’ve ever seen has been successfully removed.
McCulley, who resides in Boise, Idaho, expressed his amazement at the findings to TODAY. “I’m amazed by the results,” he said. “It will completely alter your life.”
The removal of the tumor, which occurred in the autumn of last year at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai and lasted for more than seven hours, was the 25th operation that McCulley had to go through in his lifetime. On Monday, he went public with the results of the procedure, showing off a face that is noticeably less heavy and no longer in discomfort.
The path that the 22-year-old has been on has been lengthy and at times agonizing.
On the right side of his face, he was born with a non-cancerous congenital growth called a lymphangioma. This benign tumor was most likely produced by a random genetic mutation. After McCulley had undergone the first two dozen operations he endured as a youngster, the physicians informed him that they would not be able to operate on him again until his body finished developing. But when he matured into an adult, he encountered problems that prevented him from doing so. According to a report by an affiliate of NBC, McCulley’s health insurance coverage ended when he reached 18 years old, and he was unable to apply for disability benefits, which would have made him eligible for Medicaid.
Therefore, McCulley decided to start a crowdfunding campaign. In the previous year, he solicited donations from complete strangers in order to fund his efforts to eradicate the tumor once and for all. This garnered him widespread media coverage. The campaign was successful in raising 115 thousand dollars and resulted in an appearance on “The Doctors.”
In October of 2013, Dr. Gregory Levitin, who is now the head of the Vascular Birthmarks and Malformations Program at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary at Mount Sinai, was the surgeon who conducted the procedure. He said that it was the most difficult situation he had ever encountered.
The tumor that was found on McCulley was loaded with lymph fluid and hundreds of blood vessels that were described as being “tremendously large.” Some of these blood vessels were as wide as a man’s finger. This suggested that there was a possibility of life-threatening hemorrhage occurring during the operation.
These blood arteries were intertwined with Lucas’ facial nerve, which is the nerve that controls facial expressions including smiling, blinking, and raising an eyebrow. In order to avoid leaving Lucas with a paralyzed and drooping face, Levitin needed to locate it and move around it with extreme caution. Some of McCulley’s facial bones were also distorted as a result of the enormous tumor.
Levitin said in reference to the difficult operation that “there was no easy way out of this.”
He was successful in removing around 80% of the mass, but he was unable to remove the “shelf of tumor” that is supporting McCulley’s right eye completely. It was risky to go too near to that location since it may cause blindness.
“People will say things to the effect of, ‘The face looks amazing, but how about that eye?'” However, he is still able to see out of that eye, and he was not prepared to take any chances that may cause him to lose his eyesight in order to attempt to make the eye socket seem more natural. Levitin said that the decision ultimately rested with Lucas.
Levitin was able to remove a significant portion of the tumor, to the point that it can no longer develop in the same manner. Levitin highlighted the fact that McCulley no longer experiences pain as the most significant benefit of the operation. Because the enormous tumor was stuffed with lymph fluid and blood, it was continually under pressure; in addition, it was dragging down on McCulley’s face, causing him to seem older than he really was. He said that he suffered from discomfort twenty-four hours a day. The suffering is over at this point.
After undergoing the procedure, McCulley decided to move out of his mother’s house and start living on his own. Even though he has a job in construction, he is still thinking of enlisting in the United States Army. He claims that he was unable to join the military in the past because he was unable to wear a gas mask over his face.
Additionally, he wishes to express his appreciation to everyone who has provided financial support for his medical bills. According to him, it covered the cost of his operation as well as his travel expenses.
“I’m just trying to enjoy the change in my life.” “This has exceeded all of my expectations.”