Doctors rebuild father’s skull with a ceramic plate in pioneering operation after he had a third of it removed following a severe stroke
A father who had a third of his skull removed after a massive stroke has had it rebuilt with a ceramic plate in a pioneering operation.
Marc Morris, 59, underwent drastic surgery to prevent his brain stem from pushing out the base of his skull after his collapse.
The father-of-three was found unconscious at his computer by his wife Jayne, 59, at their home in Craven Arms, Shropshire, last September.
The telecommunications worker had complained of a headache earlier that day, but blamed it on migraines or Covid.
Days after his stroke, doctors were concerned about the swelling of his brain, so they cut pieces out of his skull to relieve the pressure.
Marc Morris, 59, (pictured, before his stroke) was found unconscious at his computer by his wife Jayne at their home in Craven Arms, Shropshire, last September
The father-of-three had a third of his skull removed before undergoing groundbreaking surgery to rebuild it with a ceramic plate
He underwent the drastic surgery to prevent his brain stem from pushing out the base of his skull
Skilled medical professionals from Royal Stoke Hospital managed to reconstruct his head using a high-tech ceramic plate to fuse his skin together
After being rushed to hospital, Mr Morris was told he needed life-saving surgery to remove around a third of his skull
Mr Morris was left wheelchair-bound and suffered seizures after spending almost seven months in hospital recovering
Mr Morris spent almost seven months in hospital recovering, but was left wheelchair-bound and suffering from seizures.
In June, medics at Royal Stoke University Hospital reconstructed the shape of his head in a six-hour operation using a high-tech ceramic plate to fuse the skin.
Recalling the days before his stroke, Marc said: ‘I was very active, I was very fit. The week before I was mountain biking in Wales.
‘I was working here from home and on my laptop, I just felt strange. I had Covid for four days. On the day itself I suffered from a migraine. I thought it was the Covid.”
His wife Jayne said: ‘Marc didn’t know he was having a stroke. I called him at 12 o’clock and he said he had a migraine.
‘I checked him later after not hearing from him and it was clear he had a stroke.
‘The ambulance took him to the local hospital.
‘He was there for three and a half days and they told me he needed life-saving surgery to remove about a third of his skull.
‘They told me that without the operation he would definitely die, his brain stem was shrinking.
‘I asked if Marc would survive the operation, they replied ‘we will do our best’ which is code for ‘we don’t know’.
“He provided respiratory support. They took him to Royal Stoke Hospital.
‘The surgeon called me and said he was ready in the theater.
‘We were all in absolute shock. Every call we got it was just Marc
get worse or worse.
‘When we traveled to Stoke with the family we didn’t know if he was still alive.’
Despite suffering a major seizure days after the operation, Mr Morris survived and was transferred to a community hospital closer to his home.
The father-of-three in Cardiff on his first break since surgery
Mr Morris speaks on BBC Local Radio. The surgery also affected his vision, and he now sees only his right side of the field of vision
Before his sudden stroke, Mr Morris was fit and active and enjoyed mountain biking in Wales
Mr Morris’s family are trying to raise £18,000 to buy him a special wheelchair that he can use outside with limited vibration
In March this year he was finally deemed fit enough to return home while he waited for another operation to rebuild his skull.
Jayne added: ‘By the time Marc got home he could sit up but needed help with everything.
‘The stroke affected Marc’s eyesight. All the things he liked to do, like reading a book and using his phone.
‘His vision does not register the left side of his field of vision. Marc only sees the right side of his vision.’
Mr Morris added: ‘My brain didn’t recognize my leg.
‘One of the difficulties was, because my brain wasn’t well supported, any change
pressure or vibration made me feel nauseous. I had persistent headaches.
‘It was a real shock, I came home and was locked in my wheelchair. I had brief depressive thoughts.’
The damage to Mr. Morris’ brain causes him to feel vibrations acutely, making the use of an indoor, outdoor wheelchair very difficult.
His family are now trying to raise around £18,000 to buy a special wheelchair that Marc can use outside with limited vibration.
Marc said: ‘It will help, and it means I’m no longer stuck in my house.
‘It will allow me to go to the countryside because where we live is quite remote.