A 32-year-old man, weighing 120 kg, recently underwent a minimal invasive procedure to excise a large cardiac tumour in a city hospital.
The patient came to Fortis Malar with complaints of breathlessness and frequent episodes of giddiness.
G. Manohar, senior interventional cardiologist, identified the 11.5 x 8 cm tumour in his right atrium that blocked blood flow to the right ventricle. Such tumours are a rare occurrence as cardiac tissues are resistant to cancers, said doctors. However, if not removed, tumours can be fatal as they block blood circulation.
A team headed by Thejaswi N. Marla, Clinical Lead, Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery, Fortis Malar, excised the tumour through a small incision and rebuilt the chamber. He claimed it was the largest cardiac tumour excised in medical history using a minimal invasive procedure.
An echocardiogram and computerised tomography imaging revealed that the mass has blocking blood flow to the ventricle, a rare event. “If the mass had embolised it would have blocked the pulmonary artery leading to immediate death,” he said.
The conventional surgery was not chosen as the patient would have been bed-ridden for three months, the doctors said. The hospital’s facility director Chandrasekar spoke.
