Doctors give new lease of life to woman by removing 47 kg tumour at Apollo Hospitals

Doctors give new lease of life to woman by removing 47 kg tumour at Apollo Hospitals

-It is the biggest non-ovarian tumour successfully removed in India so far

-The woman was carrying the tumour for the past 18 years

Ahmedabad, February 15: A team of doctors at Apollo Hospitals, Ahmedabad, gave a new lease of life to a 56-year-old woman by surgically removing a 47 kg tumour—the biggest non-ovarian tumour successfully removed in India so far. The woman, a government employee and a resident of Devgadh Baria, had been carrying the tumour for 18 years and was bed-ridden for the past few months.

Apart from the tumour, the team of eight doctors, including four surgeons, led by chief surgical gastroenterologist Dr Chirag Desai also removed abdominal wall tissues and excess skin weighing around 7 kg during the surgery. Following the surgery, the bodyweight of the woman dropped to 49 kg. As she could not stand straight, her bodyweight before the surgery could not be measured.

“It was a high-risk surgery as the woman’s internal organs such as liver, heart, lungs, kidneys and uterus were displaced because of the pressure created by the tumour in the stomach wall. Getting a CT scan done was also difficult as the size of the tumour obstructed the gantry of the CT scan machine” Dr Desai said.

He added that the woman’s blood pressure was altered due to the squeezed blood vessels and she had to be given special treatment and medicines before the surgery to ensure that she does not collapse due to a drop in blood pressure post the removal of the tumour.

Onco-surgeon Dr Nitin Singhal, who was part of the team, said, “Fibroids are common in many women in the reproductive age group, but rarely does it grow this big.” The team also comprised anaesthetist Dr Ankit Chauhan, general surgeon Dr Swati Upadhyay and critical care specialist Dr Jay Kothari who played a crucial role.

Notably, the problem for the woman started 18 years ago with unexplained weight gain in the abdominal region. Initially, she resorted to ayurvedic treatment, but in vain. In 2004, she underwent sonography which revealed a benign tumour and the family opted for surgery. However, when the doctor began the surgery, it was found that the tumour was attached to internal organs. Considering the risks involved, the doctors terminated the surgery and sewed her up.

Since then, the woman’s family consulted several doctors, but in vain. In the meantime, the size of the tumour kept on growing and in the past two years, it almost doubled in size affecting her quality of life. Eventually, the family approached Apollo Hospitals, where the doctors, after a thorough assessment, decided to carry out the surgery on January 27. Following post-operative care and rehabilitation, the woman was discharged from the hospital on February 14.