Brain surgery for pituitary tumor helps Illinois mom have second baby

A suburban Chicago woman who feared she might never have another child is now celebrating a growing family after brain surgery at Northwestern Medicine.

After the birth of her first daughter in 2022, Lisa Fasone began experiencing postpartum hormonal issues.

“My menstrual cycle never came back. After I had my baby and I was done nursing, I was still lactating for quite a while after I was complete with nursing,” Fasone said. “Other hormonal issues, headaches, night sweats, fatigue, just really not feeling like myself.”

Bloodwork showed elevated levels of prolactin, a hormone produced by the pituitary gland. Medication initially helped, but over time her symptoms returned. An MRI eventually revealed a tumor on her pituitary, located at the base of the brain.

The tumor, known as a prolactinoma, was causing her body to produce too much prolactin, making it extremely difficult to become pregnant.

Fasone said she was concerned about becoming pregnant again while taking medication to treat her condition.

“It made me a little nervous to try to conceive on a medication that wasn’t well studied to be safe in pregnancy,” she said.

After exhausting conservative treatment options, she was referred to neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Magill at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago.

“I had to make a decision,” Fasone said. “Do I continue increasing the dosage of this medication that’s not making me feel great and doesn’t seem to be working, or am I going to face the issue and have it surgically addressed?”

Magill knew Fasone really wanted to have another baby. So, he counseled her on the benefits and risks of removing the tumor, and the expected outcome.

“So, it’s a pretty rare tumor. And for her, when we were able to take it all out after surgery, her prolactin levels went back to normal. And even within a month of surgery, she was able to have a baby.”

A baby he recently got to meet.

“To get someone through that and then see full circle, living a normal life, healthy pituitary gland, not on any hormone replacement. Holding a healthy baby is just, it’s incredible,” Magill said.

Fasone says infertility can be very isolating but she urges others not to give up.

“If you feel like something’s wrong, make sure that your voice is heard [by] your providers.”

Who’s behind this story?

Gaby Clark

MA in English, copy editor since 2021 with experience in higher education and health content. Dedicated to trustworthy science news.

Full profile →

Advertisements

Alexander Pol

PhD nano-engineering from Delft University. Published researcher and journal reviewer. Brings scientific insight to content standards.

Full profile →

© 2026 HealthDay. All rights reserved.