World’s Tallest Man Undergoes Gamma Knife Surgery at UVA

“His skeleton just can’t support him.” —Dr. Mary Lee Vance (Col ’72)

UVA endocrinologist Dr. Mary Lee Vance (Col ’72), who, with Dr. Jason Sheehan (Engr ’92, Grad ’97, Med ’98), treated 8’3” Sultan Kosen for a pituitary tumor that encouraged his astonishing growth. Kosen, who is credited with a Guinness World Record for being the “World’s Tallest Man,” eventually underwent noninvasive gamma knife surgery in August 2010 at the UVA Medical Center. It seems that it was successful and he has stopped growing. The surgery was mentioned in Kosen’s updated Guinness profile.