A large football-size lung tumour, weighing 1.5kg was successfully removed from a 15-year-old in Mumbai. Dr. Upendra Bhalerao, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeon at Wockhardt Hospital, Mira Road performed a successful complex thoracic surgery and gave a new lease of life to the Mumbai teen during this COVID-19 pandemic.
A resident of Byculla, Pratik Barkade had visited the family doctor with a complaint of breathlessness and cough. That is the normal symptom for COVID-19 which they earlier speculated. So to rule it out they conducted a few investigations and did a chest CT scan which later on confirmed a large tumour of size 16cm x 14cm x12 cm was seen arising from the right lung. As a result, the patient was referred to Wockhardt Hospital for tumour removal surgery.
Dr. Upendra Bhalerao, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeon at Wockhardt Hospital, Mira Road said “Due to the COVID19 pandemic situation many patients are avoiding visits to the hospital. Patient Pratik had this Tumour which kept on increasing with his age. The football-size cystic tumour was compressing on his right bronchus, trachea, and adjoining chambers of the heart. It was causing breathing problems and cough and he needed oxygen to maintain saturation in the boy.”
He said, “The tumor could be completely removed by thoracotomy without removing any part of his normal right lung. Pathology examination revealed it as a mature cystic teratoma. Primary teratomas arising from the lung are very rare tumors. Mature teratomas are usually benign. They need to be surgically removed as they can cause symptoms due to their size or secondary infection and hemoptysis. Timely intervention and surgical treatment are needed in such cases.”
The patient’s father Mayur Barkade said, “Our son was having severe breathlessness and cough but we were not able to understand the reason behind it. Due to COVID 19 pandemic, we were delaying a visit to Hospital. We were shocked and very concerned when we came to know about the massive size of the tumour. We show our gratitude to Dr. Upendra Bhalerao and his team at Wockhardt Hospital who provided my son with timely and precise surgical treatment. Now Pratik is doing well and happy to lead his life as normal.”