11-kg tumour successfully removed from 55-year-old woman’s abdomen

An expert team performed a successful nine-hour complicated surgery to extract 11-kg tumour from a 55-year-old woman’s abdomen during these unprecedented times at Zen Multispecialty Hospital at Chembur.

The team was headed by Dr Tanveer Abdul Majeed, Surgical Oncologist, Dr Santosh Palkar, Urologist and Dr Shilpa Deshmukh, Anaesthetist.

The patient, a housewife hailing from Chembur, had generalized abdominal distension. It was not a big deal for her a few months ago but things turned awry when she noticed that her abdomen was growing day by day causing a sensation of being bloated and difficulty in breathing.

In June, she consulted a local doctor who did an ultrasound and CT scan that confirmed the presence of a mass (tumour) in her abdomen. Due to Covid-19 lockdown and fear of contracting coronavirus, she deferred any further medical advice. She did not receive any medications.

Over the period, her abdominal distension progressed and made it more difficult for her to breath. Since it was a very large tumour it made her look obese.

“On evaluation at admission on September 8, she weighed about 80 kg, was diabetic and hypertensive. A contrast CT scan abdomen with vascular reconstruction performed revealed the presence of a large tumour in the abdomen completely filling the Right half of the abdomen and extending to the left side displacing the right kidney, duodenum, small intestine and colon to the left side completely. And displacing the Inferior Vena Cava (Major blood vessel) to the left with 270-degree contact with IVC, aorta, and right external iliac vessel. It was also splaying the portal vein. It had also displaced the right lobe of the liver to the left and anteriorly. Normally, tumours arising on the posterior part of the kidney tends to push anteriorly but it was a large tumour pushing the right kidney on the left side and the whole cavity was occupied by the tumour,” Dr Majeed at Zen Multispeciality Hospital, Chembur, said.

According to him, after opening the abdomen an 11-kg tumour of size 55 x 40 x 35 cm was successfully removed. "The surgery lasted for gruelling nine hours and there was 1,000 ml blood loss. The patient is in the hospital and doing very well. She is on oral liquid and is tolerating it well. She is also able to breathe freely. She will be advised to follow up after 3 months of discharge," he said.

"Our world turned upside down when I felt bloated. The stomach appeared bigger and I weighed 80 kg. We delayed treatment due to the pandemic. But I am fortunate to get operated at Zen Hospital and I thank doctors for saving my life. After the tumour extraction, I feel lighter now and can eat and breathe properly, and have resumed to normal life,” the patient said.