Removal of 6-kg tumour gives a new lease to life of 7-year-old

Doctors at Mohandai Oswal Hospital (MOH) here gave a new lease of life to a seven-year-old cancer patient by removing a 6-kg tumour from her adrenal gland, an endocrine gland at the anterior end of each kidney.

It took four-five hours to a team of six doctors and their associates to remove the tumour from the abdomen of Gagandeep Kaur. Prior to surgery, her body weight was measured 20 kg, which came down to 16 kg after removal of the 6-kg tumour.

After successfully successful surgery on August 21, Gagandeep is recovering well. Her treatment has been conducted free of the cost under the Nation Rural Health Mission Scheme.

She has been suffering from severe abdomen pain due to the giant tumour for over last two years. Doctors had cautioned her parents that there was high risk to her life if the tumour was not removed. Usually the weight of an adrenal gland is 5 gram, but it had acquired 6 kg.

Dr Dig Vijay Singh, urosurgeon at MOH, said: "On diagnosis, the girl was found to be suffering from a mass large neuroblastoma (a form of cancer) in the left adrenal gland. The tumour had a well-defined margin of 26x20x15 centimeter and 6-kg weight.

"As the tumour mass was very large, adequate chemotherapy and radiotherapy were given to which the patient responded to some extent. But when she complained of severe pain in abdomen and difficulty in breathing, then we went for a life saving surgery."

"When Gagandeep was taken to the hospital, she was in severe pain with swollen belly. It was basically a left adrenal tumour that was adherent to spleen and left non-functioning kidney. The surgery involved the removable of left adrenal mass along with spleen and left kidney with carefully preservation of all major vessels, mesentery and pancreas," said Dr RS Sibia, a paediatrician at MOH.

"One such case is reported in every one lakh people. The surgery remained successful, the doctors too were praying for the successful surgery," said Dr VK Kaushal, medical director of MOH.

Gagandeep Kaur, a student of Class 2 at a government school in Mehmood Pura on Dhandra Road, has been recovering well at the hospital.

Her father, Nirbhai Singh, said that her daughter had been given free treatment under the Nation Rural Health Mission Scheme.