He evokes emotion and inspires. The story of 14 year old Filip without a doubt awakens our optimism and stirs our emotions. Just two months after his neurosurgical intervention, Filip won two prestigious awards at the regional swimming competition in Sofia in the 50 meters backstroke and freestyle events. He surpassed his fears and is making his dreams come true. After the interventions at “Acibadem Sistina” Hospital, the disease he, unfortunately, faced very young as a child, thankfully has not destroyed his ambitions.

Filip trained very intensely with his swimming coach, twice a week. He went on to win two bronze medals which undoubtedly made his parents the proudest. His battle with the tumor lasted for 10 years. Filip had had a brain tumor that was removed 5 years ago. Still, the problem was not solved. Now, Filip is on a new path.

99 PERCENT OF THE DOCTORS WERE SCEPTICAL, BUT NOT DR. LOZANCHE

Slobodanka Petrovska, Filip’s mother, says that none of Filip’s dreams would have come true without the support of “Acibadem Sistina” Hospital and Prof. Dr. Kiril Lozanche, the neurosurgeon who also performed Filip’s first operation. The recurrence of the tumor which had been removed 5 years prior imposed the need for another neurosurgical intervention. Filip’s parents did not have the means required to cover the cost of the operation; however “Acibadem Sistina” Hospital extended a hand and decided to perform the surgery pro bono.

“Life always comes before anything else. I would like to point out that all of us should trust our doctors first before seeking help outside the country. 99 percent of the doctors that we consulted with were skeptical about Filip’s health condition. We are beyond grateful for “Acibadem Sistina” Hospital and especially for Dr. Lozanche with whom we have excellent rapport. This intervention would never have happened without him and the state-of-the art technology and equipment available at the hospital. We could not be happier with all of the hospital’s efforts, the team brought happiness to our lives”, says Slobodanka, Filip’s mother.

The 14 year old now is independent and is able to perform all of his daily activities, although just two months ago he could not even dress himself without help. Slobodanka shared with us that for the first time in 10 years, Filip went on a trip without her and outside of Macedonia none the less.

APPLICATION OF NEUROMONITORING FOR BETTER SURVEILLANCE OF THE OPERATING AREA

Filip’s mother could not hide her immense happiness. Now she is employed and can perform all of her duties and obligations without interruptions. Filip is healing successfully and his will is one of iron. Dr. Kiril Lozanche says that the operation was a serious challenge mostly because of the specific location of the tumor.

“I was familiar with Filip’s condition because I have been following his case ever since I performed his first operation 5 years ago. Unfortunately, the tumor recurred and it was necessary to perform another brain surgery. Filip’s treatment involved a multidisciplinary team that included neurosurgeons, neurologists, anesthesiologists and oncologists. Application of neuromonitoring – a safety procedure that monitors the operating area and eliminates the possibility of complications and injury to the nerve tissue, played a huge role for the intervention to be performed safely. The operation went extremely well”, says Prof. Dr. Kiril Lozanche.

Now Filip is ready to face all of life’s challenges and succeed both in life as in sport. Life showed him its many facets, however through hope and strong will he overcame all challenges. Hope and strong will are the key advices given by the doctors at “Acibadem Sistina” Hospital as well, to whom patient care always comes first.