A farmer from Rajasthan won the fight against cancer after doctors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital removed a tumour occupying 80% of his stomach.
“It took more than 10 hours to successfully remove the tumour, which weighed over 10 kg and was 2-foot-long,” said a release issued by the hospital on Sunday.
Charan Lal ( name changed ), a resident of Bikaner, was in discomfort for the last six months. He thought it was related to gas until his symptoms worsened and his stomach started paining. He started to feel bloated and was unable to eat. The farmer lost over 10 kg in just three months. He was also unable to lie flat nor was he able to breathe easily.
He went to many hospitals but failed to get relief. Lal finally consulted Ushast Dhir, consultant, Department of Surgical Gastroenterology and Liver Transplantation, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
A scan showed a tumour occupying 80% of Lal’s stomach. The tumour had grown so huge that it had displaced his intestines to the left side. It had also compressed all the organs in his abdomen, including liver, kidneys, stomach and spleen. It had also created pressure on the main blood vessels which carry blood to and from the heart. Removal of the tumour was the only way to cure Lal.
Multidisciplinary team
Dr. Dhir said a multidisciplinary team prepared the farmer for the complex surgery. The anaesthesia part was complicated since the tumour had interrupted the process of blood return to Lal’s heart. Dr. Dhir, the chief surgeon, said the tumour left no room in the abdomen to operate. A successful surgery required removal of the tumour in one piece, without damage to the vital organs and their blood supply. This required precise dissection of the tumour to separate it from the liver and its blood supply, intestines, right kidney and ureter.
He said they could not afford blood loss as venous return to the heart was already compromised. The most complex challenge was separating the tumour from renal veins, aorta and vena cava without losing blood or damaging these structures. He said the tumour was a well-differentiated liposarcoma, adding that it is the largest liposarcoma removed till date. Lal was discharged a week after the surgery.
Published - June 11, 2018 01:38 am IST
