News

Man receives honor after risky surgery

Allegheny County — Brandon Marinacci received an honor at the April 2013 Gala of the Allegheny General Hospital Auxiliary Saturday, six years after he underwent a risky surgery to help treat his epilepsy.

Marinacci suffered from as many as 15 seizures a day over 18 years and was in need of a new treatment.

Medication had little effect on Marinacci’s condition, so his doctor, James Valeriano proposed a different solution.

Valeriano suggested a risky surgery that was not guaranteed to cure the disorder and could leave Marinacci without feeling on the left side of his body.

“That night in the ICU after my second surgery was the first time I have had a full night’s sleep in about 18 years,” said Marinacci.

Marinacci has not suffered a single seizure since his operation in 2007.

This event raised money for a hospital unit, which would specialize in treating patients with epilepsy.