Doctors at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital in Tiruchi have given a youth a fresh lease of life by operating on an osteosarcoma (cancerous tumour) on his right knee without having to resort to amputation.
The Class 12 student from Ariyamangalam had visited Department of Orthopaedics of the hospital on December 17 last year complaining of swelling and severe pain in his right knee that had affected his ability to walk for three months.
When diagnostic tests and biopsy revealed the presence of an osteosarcoma 15 cm wide and 15 cm long in the right femur, the medical team and tumour board led by K. Vanitha, Dean, K. Kalyanasundaram, Head, Department of Orthopaedics, and P. Senthilkumar, surgical oncologist decided to surgically implant an exclusively designed mega-prosthesis in the affected area, and thus avoid amputation, which is the usual course of treatment in this fast-spreading disease.
Radiology Department Head Senthilvel Murugan and his team helped with the measurement for the mega prosthesis using CT scan. The implant surgery was performed on March 10 after the patient underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy for three cycles to reduce the size of the tumour, which showed a 90% necrosis after the treatment.
The challenge
“A 5cm space was made between the affected and normal area in order to ensure a safe operation. The main challenge for the team was in deciding the incision size two months before the actual procedure,” orthopaedician K. Vasantha Raman said at a press conference on Friday. “We chose a prosthetic knee with bending capacity to enable the patient to move around independently after the operation.”
A separate orthopaedic oncology ward was created for the young boy to ensure a hygienic and infection-free environment while he underwent the multiple therapies before and after the implant surgery.
The patient demonstrated his ability to walk unaided at the press meeting. “Thanks to post-operative physiotherapy exercises, he can climb stairs and walk with ease. He will be required to come back for regular follow-up visits for the next six months. If the patient takes care of his limb, we expect him lead a normal life,” said Dr. Vanitha. The treatment was given free of cost under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme.
