Ed Port to receive second surgery this week

October 16, 2011 at 12:03a.m.

Austintown

Part two of a township man’s facial transformation starts this week.

The second surgery for Ed Port, 41, who suffers from neurofibromatosis Type 2, is scheduled for Wednesday at St. Joseph Hospital in Chicago.

“I’m glad that the second surgery is coming together and that the miracle in motion is continuing on to the next step,” Port said. “I’m anxious to see the results from the second surgery. There was such a dramatic difference in the first surgery.”

NF2 is a genetic disorder that causes large tumors. In Port’s case, they obscured the left side if his face, limiting both the vision in his left eye and hearing in his left ear.

Last June, Port underwent the most extensive of the surgeries, when the large tumor was removed. He expects at least one more operation after this week’s.

In the upcoming surgery, plastic surgeon Dr. McKay McKinnon will work on Port’s left eye and ear, trying to make them more even with the right side.

Smaller tumors will be removed from his ear and on the back of his head, and the surgeon will work on his left cheek.

“He said he’s going to pull the cheek up some so when I close my mouth and bite down, I have a more-natural smile,” Port said.

This week’s surgery will be filmed by MorningStar Entertainment, a California entertainment company. The documentary, which highlights surgeries by Dr. McKinnon, is expected to be aired on The Learning Channel.

MorningStar came to town last month, filming Port dining with friends and raising funds.

“It’s basically how Ed has been undergoing surgical procedures to remove tumors from his facial area, and we’re trying to document that,” Sridhar Dasari, a researcher at the production company, told The Vindicator last month.