Thiruvananthapuram : Doctors at KIMSHEALTH successfully removed a large tumor weighing 6.8 kg, from the chest of a 65-year-old patient from Pathanamthitta. The tumor was detected during a routine health check-up, when a chest X-ray revealed a suspicious mass on the right side of the chest cavity. A subsequent CT scan confirmed the presence of the tumor, following which the patient was referred to the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, KIMSHEALTH.
The medical team led by Dr. Shaji Palangadan, Senior Consultant, Cardiothoracic Surgery, KIMSHEALTH, opted for a surgical excision of the mass. By this time, the tumor had already compressed the right lung and diaphragm and was also exerting pressure on surrounding vital organs, particularly the heart. In order to access the tumor, the doctors had to carefully spread the ribs to expose the chest cavity, and the mass was meticulously separated from the adjacent lung tissues. Since the tumor was tethered to the diaphragm, a portion of the diaphragm had to be removed along with the mass to ensure complete excision. The diaphragm was then reconstructed using a surgical mesh.
“This was a highly challenging surgery due to the tumor’s enormous size and its proximity to critical organs within the chest. Careful surgical planning and execution enabled complete removal of the mass without disturbing the functions of the surrounding organs,” said Dr. Palangadan.
Dr. Vipin B Nair, Consultant, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Dr. Jayanand Sunil, Senior Consultant, Surgical Oncology, Dr. Najeeb A A, Consultant, General & Minimally Invasive Surgery, Dr. Subash S, Consultant, and Dr. Nandhu S, Associate Consultant, Cardiac-Anaesthesia, were also part of this eight hour long surgery. The patient was discharged after a week’s stay at the hospital.