What Tyler Nutter thought was vertigo ended up being so much more.

"It was almost like I was intoxicated, my doctor actually called me and told me…‘There’s a lesion on your brain stem,’" Nutter said. 

The Air Force veteran couldn't work, couldn't walk, and couldn't keep up with his 3-year-old son. Because of the location, doctors told him the tumor was inoperable.

“It was hard to stomach,” nutter said.

Radiation and chemotherapy didn't work. Nutter then went for a second opinion at the University of Cincinnati that changed everything.

"I thought that surgery was feasible,” neurosurgeon Norberto Andaluz said.

During the surgery to remove the brain tumor, Andaluz continuously monitored all the brain pathways and nerves that move the face, impact hearing, and help people swallow. The surgery was a success, and Nutter is expected to make a full recovery.

There is no visible sign of a tumor.

“Just getting back to being able to run, jump with my kid, that's what I look forward to the most. Absolutely,” Nutter said.

A new Mayo Clinic study found that 87% of second diagnoses in nearly nine out of 10 patients either led to a refinement of the first diagnosis, or a completely different diagnosis.

Studies show that primary care providers will often refer patients to get another opinion to make sure their assessment is correct.

Watch the video above for the full story.