Mark Strand, 68, knew something was wrong when he went in for testing.
"I was having daily fevers and low-level fevers," Strand said. "And the PET scan revealed, in the end, a mass on top of my head."
Fortunately, the brain tumor was benign, but he needed surgery to have it removed.
The married father of three from Nokesville, Virginia, was among the first in our area to have brain surgery inside the new state-of-the-art Verstandig Pavilion at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.
"This is the most technologically advanced operating room, really, anywhere in the world right now," said Dr. Christopher Kalhorn, the neurosurgeon who led the operation.
Unlike other operating rooms, MedStar's is equipped with a moveable MRI system that slides on a track.
"We can bring the MRI machine directly to the patient and verify that we've achieved our surgical goals in terms of a complete resection of the tumor," Kalhorn said.
The new technology allows doctors to leave the operating room with more confidence about the procedure.
The technology can be used in other ways, too, Kalhorn said.
"We are utilizing this intraoperative MRI to treat patients with movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, essential tremor and dystonia," Kalhorn said.
As for Strand, several months since the delicate operation, a small scar is the only thing that's left of the ordeal.
Strand said he was left with minimal scarring and his recovery was "smooth" and "very quick."
"The idea of brain surgery itself is something that was terrifying. And so the idea that they could then take you and fix it right away, and then a month later, you can be going about your life," Strand said. "In fact, two months after that, we went to Italy for my nephew's wedding."
Strand feels great, and doctors say he doesn't need any additional treatment.
Kalhorn is among the many people who helped design the Verstandig Pavilion at MedStar Georgetown.
He said the new operating room technology also allows them to "Zoom" in other surgeons during surgery and consult with them in real time.