The former ballerina revealed that she had a benign facial tumor that she had to get surgically removed Karim took to Instagram to pay tribute to the team of doctors who performed the complicated surgery DUBAI: Egyptian actress Nelly Karim announced this week that she underwent a “tough” surgery that could have left her face permanently paralyzed. Speaking to television presenter Eman El-Hossary of the Egyptian program “DMC Evening,” the former ballerina revealed that she had a benign facial tumor that she had to get surgically removed at the Massachusetts General Hospital in the US. “I went to different doctors, but they were all scaring me because in this surgery, I will either be paralyzed or I will return back in good health,” the “Segn El-Nesa” star said of the complicated but successful surgery during the phone interview. “I was a little shocked, but thank God I am okay now,” she added. A week earlier, Karim took to Instagram to pay tribute to the team of doctors who performed the complicated operation. “Thank you Dr Lin & amazing team (Greys Anatomy) for saving my life and making an amazing job,” she wrote alongside an image of herself and the three surgeons she shared with her 5.4 million Instagram followers. Karim, a mother of four, is the daughter of a Russian mother and an Egyptian father. She was the first actress hailing from the North African nation to serve as a jury member at the 73rd edition of the Venice Film Festival in 2016.