Brain Surgery For ‘Hollywood Medium’ Tyler Henry, 29, With Benign Tumor Removed He Can Entertain With Brain Tricks Again

Tyler Henry captioned his post, “Brain surgery was a success! Great prognosis, incredible staff, and I feel so thankful to be surrounded by my family.

“I’ll be on bedrest for a month and look forward to getting back to doing readings.”

He explained further, “For those of you who connect with me virtually, not much should change as far as private reading giveaways and group readings, right now I’m just on the mend.

“For those curious, I had a colloid tumor [a fluid-filled sac that develops in the brain’s third ventricle, also called a colloid cyst] near the center of my brain and thankfully most of it has been removed! (The tumor, not my brain… that is.)”

As for his heath struggle, he noted that it wasn’t his “first rodeo” and he’s extremely grateful “so much.”

“I’ll see ya’ll very soon with lots of thought-provoking subjects and of course, readings,” he concluded. “Thank you all so much for your support.”

About 19 hours after he shared the uplifting news on his social media page, Tyler Henry also took to his Instagram story to inform his fans that he’s doing well amid his recovery.

He said in a quick video clip, admitting his voice as a “little hoarse” after being intubated during surgery, “I’m on the mend, I’m all good.

“Thank you for everything. And I’m sending all the love right back at ya.”

Tyler Henry previously told his fans how his doctors discovered a “congenital brain cyst that led to emergency surgery after weeks of headaches” about 11 years ago.

He explained in an August 2023 Instagram post, “This photo was taken a month after my 18th birthday in the backyard of my childhood home. I was doing readings on camera in my small town of Hanford, CA.

“Only a week later an MRI revealed a congenital brain cyst that lead to emergency surgery after weeks of headaches. A mass I was born with was only now causing a life-threatening situation as my adult life was just beginning.”

Tyler Henry continued, “Despite all that, this project allowed for one of my most exciting moments as an early medium – reading an entire diner full of strangers, as well as delivering messages in my teenage haunts of China Alley (later featured on @lifeafterdeathnetflix).

“This experience taught me early on the importance of timing and trust. Without the inevitable brain surgery that ensued, I don’t think I would of had such a firsthand awareness of the fragility of life. It was an intimate reminder for me of the fine line dividing this realm and the next.”

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What is a Colloid Cyst?

According to Columbia University Irving Medical Center, a colloid cyst tumor, otherwise known as a colloid cyst, which is often symptomatic and found incidentally, “is a benign, fluid-filled sac that arises in the area of the brain known as the third ventricle.”

Common surgical treatment procedures for these type of cysts are shunt placement, craniotomy, and endoscopic craniotomy. In other cases, simple watching and waiting is all that’s needed.

“Filled with a proteinaceous fluid, these growths are considered cysts, not ‘true’ brain tumors. However, they are still categorized as intraventricular tumors, and they may cause symptoms that require intervention,” the center explains.

“Generally, when no cyst is present, cerebrospinal fluid circulates through the brain’s ventricular system, nourishing and cushioning the brain and spinal cord. Colloid cysts may interfere with the body’s ability to maintain the proper balance and circulation of this fluid.”

Additionally, these cysts make up 15 to 20 percent of all masses that develop in the brain’s ventricles.

Tyler Henry didn’t specify the exact type of surgery he underwent, but it’s important to note that brain tumors are often removed via a craniotomy, which Dr. Kimberly Hoang, a board-certified neurosurgeon at Emory University School of Medicine, previously explained to SurvivorNet is “a procedure to cut out a tumor, and it can be metastasized or a tumor that started someplace else like the breasts and went to the brain, especially if the tumor is causing symptoms or if it’s large.”

Neurosurgeons SurvivorNet previously spoke to say usually, your symptoms will indicate if your metastatic cancer has spread to the brain. An MRI scan can help confirm if this is the case.

“Often, patients have symptoms such as weakness, headache, or seizures. Or some patients don’t have symptoms and brain metastases are discovered on a routine MRI,” explained Dr. Peter Forsyth, the Chairman of the Neuro-Oncology Program at Moffitt Cancer Center and Professor of Oncology at the University of South Florida.

“With breast cancer going to the brain so commonly, sometimes MRIs are done without symptoms,” Dr. Forsyth added.

The MRI helps doctors pinpoint the exact location of the tumor within the skull. Dr. Hoang explains the surgical procedure to remove the tumor involves making an incision near where the tumor is.

“We take off the bone overlaying the area we need to get to. We open the little envelope around the brain called the dura. Then we move through the brain tissue to get to where the tumor is to try to cut out as much as we can safely without hurting the patient’s function or other important things like big blood vessels that can cause things like a stroke,” Dr. Hoang said.

After the craniotomy, the patient is closely monitored and usually receives radiation to keep the tumor from growing back.

“Because many patients can have more than one brain tumor or metastasis from their cancer, that was not reasonable to think about surgery for; they also get radiation for those spots as well to try to keep those tumors from growing or shrink them down,” Dr. Hoang further explained.

In addition to surgery, other forms of treatment have also seen improvements in brain metastasis treatment. Proven cancer-fighting drugs such as chemotherapies, immunotherapies, and targeted drugs, while effective in many parts of the body, were less effective at treating tumors in the brain due to the blood-brain barrier. The National Cancer Institute describes this barrier as a “network of blood vessels and tissue made up of closely spaced cells and helps keep harmful substances from reaching the brain.”

However, Dr. Hoang tells SurvivorNet that advancements in chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted drugs designed to target cancer cells are beginning to make headway even in the brain.

WATCH: Understanding Gliomas

“If you’re suspected of having a tumor on imaging and our neurosurgeons think that tumor can come out, they will take a piece of that tumor out first and confirm in the operating room and with our pathologists that, in fact, what they are looking at is a tumor,” Dr. Alexandra Miller, Director of the Neuro-Oncologist Division at NYU Langone Health, tells SurvivorNet. “And if it is, they resect it at that time. It’s not usually a two-step procedure.”

If surgery cannot be performed due to tumor location or patient-specific factors, a less invasive stereotactic biopsy can be obtained. Once the tissue sample is obtained, it’s examined under a microscope for molecular testing. At this stage, the tumor is given a grade, which determines how aggressive it is.

• Grade I-II gliomas – These are considered low-grade and tend to grow slowly. “The grade one is a very indolent, benign tumor that can be cured with surgery alone,” Dr. Henry Friedman, Deputy Director of the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke, tells SurvivorNet.
• Grade III gliomas – These are considered high-grade and tend to grow more rapidly. They are typically classified as malignant and require more aggressive treatment, which can include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.
• Grade IV gliomas – These are the most aggressive gliomas, which are locally aggressive and require treatment intensification. Glioblastomas are the most common grade IV glioma, “which is by far the most well-known and feared tumor in the lay population and, quite frankly, the medical population,” Dr. Friedman explains.

Understanding Brain Tumors

It’s helpful to understand that brain tumors account for 85-90% of all primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord and acts as the main “processing center” for the body’s nervous system. The normal function of the brain and spinal cord can become difficult if there’s a tumor putting pressure on or spreading into normal tissue close by.

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There are many different types of brain and spinal cord tumors and some of which are more likely to spread into nearby parts of the brain or spinal cord than others. Slow-growing tumors may be considered benign, however, even these types of tumors can lead to serious problems.

Meanwhile, symptoms of brain tumors, as a whole, are usually caused by increased pressure in the skull. This pressure can stem from tumor growth, swelling in the brain, or blockage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the American Cancer Society explains.

General symptoms may include:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Blurred vision
• Balance problems
• Personality or behavior changes
• Seizures
• Drowsiness or even coma

Additionally, MD Anderson Cancer Center notes that changes in the ability to smell can also be a sign of brain tumors, and, more specifically, “strange smells” can be a symptom of seizures, which can result from brain tumors.

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It’s important to note that these symptoms are not exclusive to brain tumors. Still, you should always speak with your doctor if you’re experiencing any health problems.

Meanwhile, treatment options for brain cancer depend on a variety of factors, including the size and type of the tumor as well as the grade of the tumor.

Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy are options doctors use to treat brain tumors. Cancer warriors are encouraged to talk to their doctor about their situation and the best treatment options.

Types of Cancerous and Non-Cancerous Brain Tumors

A brain tumor can affect you differently depending on its location and if it is cancerous. Some brain tumors are non-cancerous (or benign). According to the National Cancer Institute, some examples of these types of brain tumors include:

• Chordomas are primarily benign and slow-growing and are often found near the tailbone or where the spine meets the skull.
• Craniopharyngiomas are rare, slow-growing tumors that don’t spread to other parts of the brain or body. They form near the pituitary gland near the base of the brain.
• Gangliocytomas are rare tumors of the central nervous system that tend to form on the temporal lobe (the left or right side of the brain).
• Glomus jugulare are rare and slow-growing tumors.
• Meningiomas are rare brain tumors that usually form on the outer layer of tissue that covers the brain (dura mater).
• Pineocytomas are rare and slow-growing tumors located in the pineal gland near the middle of the brain.
• Pituitary adenomas are slow-growing brain tumors of the anterior pituitary located in the lower part of the brain.
• Schwannomas are rare tumors that grow on the cells that protect nerve cells. They are called Schwann cells.
• Acoustic neuromas (vestibular schwannoma) are slow-growing tumors that develop from the nerves that help balance and hearing.

Other brain tumors are malignant or cancerous. These kinds of tumors include:

• Gliomas are the most common form of cancerous and aggressive primary brain tumors.
• Astrocytoma (glioma) forms in astrocytes (star-shaped cells). Depending on how aggressive or fast they grow and impact brain tissue, these tumors are classified into four grades.
• Ependymomas are tumors classified into three grades depending on how aggressive or fast they grow.
• Oligodendroglioma tumors are classified into grades depending on their growth speed. Grade 2 oligodendroglioma tumors are slow-growing and can invade nearby tissue, but they may not present symptoms for many years before detection. Meanwhile, grade 3 oligodendroglioma tumors proliferate.
• Medulloblastoma tumors are classified into four different grades depending on their aggressive nature or how quickly they grow.
• Glioblastoma, which is considered a central nervous system (CNS) tumor, is the most common and aggressive brain tumor in adults.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

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