Surgeons from the Department of Orthopaedic Oncology and Department of Spine Surgery of Indiana Hospital and Heart Institute, Mangaluru, successfully performed a challenging surgery on a 33-year-old male patient who had presented himself with a large soft tissue tumour adherent to his lower spine. This condition required the removal of the tumour, along with a major part of 2-3 vertebrae and a small part of his pelvis.
The surgery involving the removal of such tumours is generally associated with a major risk of temporary or permanent paralysis of the lower limb, spine instability, and at times inability to completely remove this tumour.
The Department of Orthopaedic Oncology led by Dr Navaneeth S Kamath and the Department of Spine Surgery led by Dr Hashir Safwan performed a prolonged 14-hour surgery with the successful removal of the tumour. The recovery has been uneventful and the patient is now able to function independently during follow-up.
Hospital MD Dr Yusuf A Kumble said the issue with this particular case was difficult surgical access with risks of possible damage to the spinal cord, loss of spine stability and massive bleeding. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for such types of cancerous tumours and failure to remove the tumour completely can affect survival.
The advent of better imaging modalities, the evolution of Orthopaedic super specialities, pre-operative planning and teamwork at Indiana Hospital have made such surgeries possible, said Dr Jalaluddeen, professor and head of the Department of Orthopaedics.
The team also included Dr Vinay Kumar (Consultant Surgical Oncologist), Dr Nikhil MP and Dr Harish B G (Anaesthesiologists) and Dr Nikhil Shetty (Consultant Plastic Surgeon).