(845) 802-0047When the average person thinks of cancer, they are most likely not thinking of the pituitary gland, which regulates the body’s hormonal processes. Yet if a medical professional commits cancer malpractice by not diagnosing or treating a tumor in this area, a person could potentially lose their vision. If this occurs, you could have the right to monetary compensation with aid from an Albany pituitary tumor malpractice lawyer. Contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney today for help with your case.
What is a Pituitary Gland Tumor?
A pituitary tumor is a tumor that is located near the pituitary gland. This gland is located at the base of the brain, just above the optic nerve. In regards to the eyes, there is an optic nerve that crisscrosses like an “X” to the back part of the brain known as the occipital lobe. The area at the center of the “X” is called the optic chiasm, and the pituitary gland is located just below the optic chiasm.
When somebody has a pituitary gland tumor, that tumor is most likely going to be benign, meaning it is not malignant or harmful. However, it will grow upward from the base of the brain towards the optic chiasm, where it can stretch the optic chiasm from being horizontal to more like an angle. When that occurs, the person can lose vision in one or both eyes due to compression of the optic nerve and the optic chiasm. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment of a pituitary gland tumor is essential before it begins to compromise the optic nerve. An Albany pituitary tumor malpractice attorney could help you get compensable damages if a doctor failed to diagnose this condition.
Symptoms of Pituitary Tumors
The most common presenting symptom of a pituitary gland tumor is when the person begins to have double vision or other problems with their vision. Imaging studies of the brain using a CAT scan or an MRI will show the location of the pituitary gland tumor, but will also show whether the optic nerve or the optic chiasm are being compressed by the tumor.
In some cases where the patient is having the sudden onset of vision loss, double vision, or impaired vision, treating this condition may be an emergency medical condition. If the tumor is not removed and the compression of the optic nerve is not released, the person can become blind due to the ongoing compression of the optic nerve by the pituitary gland tumor.
Negligent Medical Care
Because blindness is a possibility in many cases, the treatment and surgical removal of a pituitary gland tumor is essential. That operation is typically done by inserting surgical instruments through the nasal cavity right to the base of the brain, and then the surgeon can laparoscopically remove the pituitary gland tumor.
If the surgeon damages another part of the brain during this process, or if a doctor fails to identify this type of tumor, a pituitary tumor malpractice lawyer in Albany could help you file for any damages you may have suffered. Because vision loss or complete blindness would affect the type of job you can hold, the damages available for missing wages could be substantial.
Call an Albany Pituitary Tumor Malpractice Attorney if You Lost Your Vision
Doctors and surgeons have a duty to provide the best possible care to their patients. If they were negligent in their actions, and you suffered as a result, talk with an Albany pituitary tumor malpractice lawyer as soon as possible. You should not have to endure the financial costs of their errors. Contact us today for a free consultation.