New Jersey resident Janet Gambuti, 76, considers herself very healthy. But in the fall of 2019, her primary care physician became suspicious of a swelling in her nose. He referred her to Satish Govindaraj, MD, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology and Neurosurgery, and Chief of the Division of Rhinology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. After looking at the results of an MRI, and consulting with a colleague from the Neurosurgery Department, he determined that a biopsy was warranted.
Janet had never undergone surgery in her life, so she was anxious. But the “overwhelming kindness” of her care team helped allay her fears. On October 23,, 2019, Dr. Govindaraj took the biopsy. Janet recalls she was in the recovery room when Dr. Govindaraj took her hand and told her she was going to be fine. “He treated me as if I was his mother,” she says. “He was that gentle and caring.”
A highly successful, seven-hour surgery to remove the mass was performed on November 18, by Alfred M.C. Iloreta, Jr., MD, Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, and Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Iloreta is also Director for Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery for the Mount Sinai Health System.
The following day, while waiting to be discharged, Janet received a call from Maryanne LaPietra-Santonocito, surgical scheduling coordinator for Drs. Govindaraj and Iloreta, to see how she was doing and to give Janet her cell number, just in case she needed to reach out. Maryanne had been instrumental in setting up Janet’s appointments and tests, so she was a familiar voice.
As it turns out, Janet did call Maryanne a few days later. At 7 am on the Sunday after her discharge, her right eye swelled and closed up. She became extremely nervous and called Maryanne, who instantly calmed her and asked Janet to send her a photo of her eye. Maryanne sent the photo to Dr. Iloreta, who immediately called Janet, reassuring her and explaining that the swelling would resolve shortly.
Janet becomes emotional speaking about her care. “I am eternally grateful for Dr. ILoreta, Dr. Gonvindaraj, and Maryanne for a time in my life when everything was so foreign to me.” She adds, “Maryanne is my guardian angel. I will treasure her for the rest of my life.” But she is quick to credit others on the team for a wonderful experience, including the anesthesiologists Ben Toure, MD, Assistant Professor Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, and Nigel Wilkinson-Maitland, MD, PGY-3s; clinical assistants Stacey Haywood and Kathy Aleksa; and administrative assistant Michelle Golomshtok; who “greets me so warmly when I come for follow-ups.”
A twenty-six year veteran of the Otolaryngology Department, Maryanne is humble as she speaks for herself and her colleagues: “Teamwork, and compassion for our patients and one another are at the heart of what we do. We are a family. I am so proud and happy to be a member of this group.”