A team of doctors in Mumbai headed by Dr. Tanveer Abdul Majeed [Surgical Oncologist], Dr. Santosh Palkar [Urologist], and Dr. Shilpa Deshmukh [Anaesthetist] was successful in performing a 9-hour complicated surgery to extract 11kg of mass tumor from a 55-year-old woman’s abdomen at Zen Multispecialty Hospital Chembur.
Sujata Sinha (name changed), a housewife and a resident from Chembur, had generalized abdominal swelling. Things turned suspicious when she noticed that her abdomen was growing day by day causing her a sensation of being bloated. She also had difficulty in breathing.
In June, she consulted a doctor, who did an ultrasound and CT scan. Both confirmed the presence of a mass (tumor) in her abdomen. However, due to the COVID-19 fear and lockdown, she deferred any further medical advice and medications.
During the period of waiting, her abdominal distension progressed and made her more breathless with time. Since it was a very large tumor, she appeared to be putting on weight. Then, she was referred to Zen Multispeciality Hospital, Chembur, Mumbai.
Dr. Tanveer Abdul Majeed, a Surgical Oncologist, Zen Multispecialty Hospital, Chembur highlighted, “On evaluation, at admission on 8th September, she weighed about 80 kilos. She was also diabetic and hypertensive. A Contrast CT scan Abdomen with Vascular reconstruction was performed, which revealed the presence of a large tumor in the abdomen filling the Right half of the abdomen. It was extending to the left side, displacing the right kidney, duodenum, small intestine, and colon to the left side completely. It was also found to be 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, tumors arising on the posterior part of the kidney tend to push anteriorly but, it was a large tumor pushing the right kidney on the left side and the whole cavity was occupied by the tumor.”
The patient was scheduled to undergo Exploratory Laparotomy with Intra perinephric Resection of Right Retroperitoneal Sarcoma sos Right Nephrectomy and Vascular replacement of Inferior Vena Cava that is a clinical diagnosis of Retroperitoneal Liposarcoma.
Liposarcoma is a rare cancer of connective tissues that resemble fat cells under a microscope. It can occur in almost any part of the body. More than half of liposarcoma cases involve the thigh, and up to a third involve the abdominal cavity.
Dr. Majeed said, “After opening the abdomen, we found a very large tumor which had displaced all previously mentioned structures to the left completely. An 11 kg tumor of size 55 cm x40 x 35 was successfully removed. The surgery lasted for grueling 9 hours and there was 1000 ml blood loss. The patient is in the hospital, and now doing very well. She has started on oral liquid and tolerating it well. She breaths freely. She will be advised to follow up 3 months after being discharged.
“Our world turned upside down when I felt bloated. The stomach appeared bigger and I weighed 80 kgs. We delayed treatment due to the pandemic. But I am fortunate to get operated at Zen Hospital. After tumor extraction, I feel lighter now. I can eat and breathe properly, and have resumed to normal life,” concluded Patient Sujata Sinha (name changed).
