Aaron shares first update online since life-saving operation in US
Brave Irish teenager Aaron McMahon has been swamped with good wishes after his first social media post since undergoing life-saving surgery in the US.
In a post on Instagram and Facebook this afternoon, Aaron said his operation was over and successful.
“It will be a long road before I even get back to my old self but it’ll be well worth it,” he said.
Aaron underwent complex surgery in the US earlier this month to remove a chordoma tumour - a rare form of cancer in the skull.
Leading US surgeon, Dr Paul Gardner, who oversaw the six-hour high-risk surgery at University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre (UPMC), confirmed that the entire tumour was removed and that there were no complications during the procedure.
He said doctors will always have to watch for recurrence of a tumour but he said with a complete removal and radiation, Aaron’s prognosis is good.
It is understood that Aaron and his parents, Paul and Gail, hope to get the all-clear for him to board an aircraft and fly home later this month, or early in September.
Aaron was diagnosed in February 2017 with chordoma, a rare form of cancer that occurs in the bones of the base of the skull and spine and was told earlier this year that it was terminal.
A massive fundraising campaign ensured he could travel for the life-saving surgery at UPMC which is one of the world’s top centres for this kind of specialised chordoma surgery.
Dr Gardner and a team of five surgeons was involved, including ear, nose and throat specialist, Dr Carl Snyderman, and their assistants.
