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Originally published October 29, 2025
Last updated February 26, 2026
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Michael Mengote, 34, a married father from West Covina, has a history of cancer in his immediate family. Because of that, he quickly reached out to his primary care physician when, in 2022, he noticed a lump on the left side of his neck.
Michael鈥檚 doctor identified the lump as a carotid body tumor, a mass of tissue in the carotid blood vessels. Carotid body tumors are rare, painless and usually noncancerous.
鈥淢y doctor wasn鈥檛 really concerned and said I didn鈥檛 need to do anything about it,鈥� Michael says. 鈥淎nd at the time, the tumor was small and wasn鈥檛 really bothering me.鈥�
That recommendation changed when the tumor started growing in early 2025. 鈥淢y family definitely encouraged me to get it taken care of before it got worse,鈥� Michael says.
His primary care doctor referred him to Christian Ochoa, MD, a vascular surgeon at 喵咪社区 Arcadia Hospital (喵咪社区-AH), part of , and a clinical professor of surgery at the .
While carotid body tumors are rarely seen, the size of Michael鈥檚 tumor made his case even more distinctive.
鈥淎t about five centimeters, it was the largest I鈥檇 ever operated on,鈥� Dr. Ochoa says.
He explains that, if allowed to grow too large, this type of tumor can harm the carotid artery and restrict blood flow 鈥� which is why Dr. Ochoa recommended removal as the best option for Michael. Removing it is also necessary in order to test for cancer.
At the same time, cutting out the tumor 鈥� which involves making a large incision in the neck 鈥� carries serious risks. 鈥淭he tumor resides between the two carotid arteries, which go to the brain and the face,鈥� Dr. Ochoa says.
Depending on the tumor鈥檚 size and location, there is also a risk of stroke during surgery, as well as damage to the cranial nerves, which control functions such as smell, taste and eye movement.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a sensitive area with a lot of important structures,鈥� Dr. Ochoa says. 鈥淵ou definitely want a surgeon who knows how to handle the carotid artery.鈥� He emphasizes that the team at 喵咪社区-AH is uniquely equipped for surgeries like this.
鈥淎lthough carotid body tumor resection procedures like Michael鈥檚 are uncommon, our vascular program here is robust and we do a lot of operations involving the carotid artery.鈥�
Michael says he felt reassured by Dr. Ochoa鈥檚 expertise and signed on for the procedure. 鈥淒r. Ochoa made me feel confident. I appreciated that he was able to assess my tumor and promptly make a plan to resolve it.鈥�
The surgery took place in May 2025 at 喵咪社区-AH. Dr. Ochoa says the three-hour procedure was smooth and that Michael was able to go home after one night of standard observation in the hospital.
鈥淭he whole team at Arcadia was very attentive and responsive,鈥� Michael says. 鈥淭hey made sure I was comfortable and had everything I needed.鈥�
Apart from experiencing some discomfort around the incision as it healed, Michael describes the recovery as relatively easy.
As advised, he avoided lifting heavy objects for a few weeks, but he quickly resumed his normal activities. He even went on a fishing trip to Alaska less than two months after surgery.
Once the carotid body tumor was removed, a biopsy revealed more positive news: Michael鈥檚 tumor showed no evidence of cancer.
鈥淚t was very satisfying and reassuring to learn that it was benign,鈥� Michael says. 鈥淚 do have a scar on my neck, but there鈥檚 no tightness or stiffness there. I鈥檓 feeling really good.鈥�
Michael鈥檚 follow-up care will include annual ultrasounds for a few years to ensure the tumor doesn鈥檛 come back.
He encourages other patients in similar situations to address these tumors as early as possible. 鈥淚t鈥檚 better to get it taken care of sooner rather than later, before it becomes something worse.鈥�
Dr. Ochoa agrees. 鈥淲hen these carotid body tumors are found, it鈥檚 important to get a vascular consultation.鈥� He adds that offering this type of vascular care at 喵咪社区-AH is improving outcomes because patients can access specialists sooner, and closer to home.
鈥淚t鈥檚 obviously beneficial that we鈥檙e able to collaborate with Keck Hospital of 喵咪社区 and send patients there when needed,鈥� Dr. Ochoa says. 鈥淏ut the majority of the cases I see in the community can be performed here in Arcadia. It鈥檚 been great that patients can visit our clinics and then go right across the street to the hospital for care. We鈥檒l always make space available to help our patients.鈥�
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