Meet
Meet Joan Grieve
Pituitary surgery
I work as a Consultant Neurosurgeon with a special interest in pituitary tumours.
How long have you worked at the hospital?
Nearly 18 years as a consultant
How does your work make a positive impact?
Operations that often improve patients’ vision back to normal
What is most challenging about your job?
Trying to get everything done in a day I need to!
What is most rewarding about your job?
Being able to normalise excess pituitary hormones with an operation.
How has your department benefitted from funds raised by The National Brain Appeal?
It funded a new operating theatre, post-operative ward, plus an education space and new offices for the neurosurgeons. I also use the interventional MRI scanner, which was funded by the charity. This allows us to scan patients mid-operation to see how much more tumour needs to be removed. I also admit patients to the UK’s first dedicated brain tumour ward – Molly Lane Fox Ward, also funded by The National Brain Appeal.
What could further funding from The National Brain Appeal help your team/department to achieve?
Developing new techniques to try and pinpoint exactly where a tumour the size of a pinhead is in the pituitary gland
Can you find a metaphor for your work?
One of my colleagues describes pituitary surgery like operating through a matchbox with chopsticks – it’s a very good analogy
Do you have a secret skill or hobby?
I spend most of my holidays fly fishing in far-flung places!
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