Robot-assisted Stereotactic Biopsy

22 May 2017, I underwent robot assisted stereotactic biopsy.

20-21 May 2017. It was a lovely weekend with my parents who just arrived in Germany to visit me after I told them I was diagnosed with high grade brainstem tumor in April 2017.

Sunday evening my husband drove me to Frankfurt Klinikum. We waited for almost 2 months to get slot for the biopsy. I wanted to do biopsy to be sure of the initial diagnose glioblastoma and not tuberculosis.

Doctor said the procedure will take 2 hours and explained me the risk. It considered safe and low risk. Several days before biopsy I underwent postoperative CT scan and cerebral angiography to document possible surgical complications and confirm the site of biopsy. Both doctor and me were very positive for this biopsy successful.

On Monday morning, I was waiting for my husband and parents to come in 2 hours. Then nurse came and said there are some changes with the schedule, so I will be the first in the surgery room, I have to go now. I quickly called my husband told him this.

I went to the surgery room, doctor gave me general anaesthesia and I slept during the procedure. The surgery unexpectedly took 6 hours, but the doctor at the end managed to collect sufficient samples.

I woke up panicky because I felt like I can not breath. I screamed ask for oxygen. Doctor called Tobias and saw him somehow calmed me down. I can not feel my left side body, my double vision worsened, my left and right eye movement also reduce. My speech slurred. The worst part was I can not swallow.

After I woke up they transferred me back to the ward. I spent 10 days with my parents and husband took turn spent night in the hospital sitting next to my bed. They placed a feeding tube through my nose into my stomach.

1 June 2017, I was transferred with ambulance to the Karlsruhe Klinik, and I started my treatment there.

The biopsy result confirmed aggressive pontine glioblastoma (DIPG) grade IV WHO.

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