Many young men aspire to be tall, but in Sultan Kosen's extreme case, being tall had a huge downside.
At a towering 8 feet, 3 inches, Kosen, 29, who lives in Turkey, enjoys the celebrity that goes along with being certified by the Guiness Book of Records as the world's tallest man. But, until recently, the physical problems that went along with Kosen's alpine stature threatened his prospects for living a long and healthy life.
Those health concerns have been largely alleviated, thanks to the advanced medical care Kosen received at the University of Virginia (UVA) Medical Center in Charlottesville. Dr. Jason Sheehan, a native of Mount Carmel who is a neurosurgeon at the center, played a key role in Kosen's treatment.
Kosen's condition, acromegaly, is the result of a non-cancerous tumor on his pituitary gland which resulted in excess production of growth hormone. When Kosen arrived at UVA in May 2010, an endocrinologist, Dr. Mary Lee Vance, prescribed a different medication to better control the growth hormone production. Then, in August 2010, Sheehan, performed gamma knife radiosurgery on Kosen. Sheehan explained that this minimally invasive procedure involved focusing high-energy beams of radiation, guided by MRI, directly on the pituitary tumor. The procedure was 3 1/2 hours in duration, and Kosen was hospitalized just one day.
It normally takes 12 to 24 months for the treatments to be completely effective, Sheehan noted, so it wasn't until March of this year that he and his colleagues received the welcome news they were eagerly awaiting from Kosen's doctors in Turkey: Kosen has stopped growing. Best of all, health problems that go along with his condition are reversing.
Sheehan said such a massive height wreaks havoc on a human body's skeletal structure and internal organs. There have only been a dozen recorded cases, he noted, of people exceeding 8 feet.
"If Sultan had continued to grow, he would have had an abbreviated life expectancy," Sheehan remarked. Although Kosen will be healthier thanks to the medical procedures he received at UVA, he will always stay at the same height he reached when he stopped growing.
Sheehan said Kosen comes from an agrarian background, and he described the young man's family as "lower middle class." Being able to travel to the U.S. for the treatment he needed wasn't easy. Guiness was among the principal sponsors in helping Kosen to secure the medical care, Sheehan said, noting that Kosen has benefited from the fame that the Guiness distinction has brought him.
"Sultan has become a real celebrity in Turkey," Sheehan said. Kosen makes personal appearances and endorsements, and Sheehan added, he has learned that his patient even had the opportunity to attend the Cannes Film Festival this year.
Sheehan said Kosen was well-liked by everyone on the medical center staff.
Sheehan is a son of James and Jacqueline (Stamets) Sheenan, of Carlisle. The family lived in Mount Carmel until Dr. Sheehan was 12 years old. James Sheehan was a teacher at Mount Carmel Area High School before leaving to attend law school; he is now an attorney in Carlisle.
Dr. Sheehan is a grandson of Ann Stamets, of Shamokin, the late Jack Stamets and the late Louis and Anna Sheehan. A graduate of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, he is a professor of neurological surgery, radiation oncology and neuroscience there, in addition to treating patients.