Dean Richardson, 61, had a benign, non-cancerous tumour removed after scans revealed it was growing into his skull. Consultant neurosurgeon Mr Adam Razak completed the surgery within two hours. Following consultation with the anaesthetist, reviewing scans, and speaking with Mr Richardson, the patient was discharged home that night, just 12 hours after being taken to theatre.
Mr Richardson, who runs his own air conditioning firm, is now recovering well at his home in Hull. A bespoke “plate” was fitted to cover the missing part of his skull.
Mr Razak, part of the Neurosurgical Team at Hull Royal Infirmary, noted a shift in surgical trends. "The neurosurgical trend 10 to 15 years ago after such major surgery was to keep patients in hospital for up to five to seven days post-operatively," he said. "Now, I try to get all of my patients out of hospital the day after surgery, providing it’s in their best interests and is safe to do so. However, this patient was very fit for a man of his age and surgery went so well and without complications that there was no need to keep him in hospital for another night."
“"Mr Razak was brilliant. I went for surgery at 8am, was out by 11.30am and up walking by 12. Mr Razak came to see me on Ward 40 and asked if I wanted to go home and, of course, I did. My son came to get me and I was home by 8pm, 12 hours after I’d been taken to theatre."
Mr Richardson, who has played squash for over 30 years, first noticed numbness in his right leg two years ago. Tests in July 2024 revealed two tumours on different sides of his brain. After recovering from eight hours of surgery to remove the larger tumour, he experienced a stroke last year. Further tests revealed a hole in his heart from birth, which was surgically repaired in Leeds. Eight weeks later, he underwent surgery to remove the second tumour.
Special 3D imaging was used to plan the surgery, and a European company created a cutting guide for Mr Razak to precisely remove the necessary amount of skull before fitting the prostheses. "These are the types of surgery the team performs, day in, day out, but this is the first time we’ve had a patient able to go home the same day," said Mr Razak. "It makes such a difference to patients and is another level of patient care that our population can expect if they have to come to Hull for neurosurgery."
Mr Richardson, who was back playing squash within two months of his previous brain surgery, is hoping for a similar recovery. "The hardest thing for me, being so active, is to sit still and recover," he said, adding that he is currently planning to build a koi pond in his garden.
