Surgeons Remove 16.7 KG ‘Gunny Bag’ Tumor in 10-Hour Surgery at Gurgaon

The patient, who was born in the Pacific Islands, had been bearing this 58x50cm non cancerous tumour since 2008

Genetic abnormalities play a role in the development of these tumors. (Representational image: Unsplash)

A 27-year-old man's massive 16.7-kg tumor in his back was successfully removed by surgeons at the Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI) in Gurugram. The patient, who was born in the Pacific Islands, had been bearing this 58x50 cm non-cancerous tumor since 2008.

The tumor was determined to be a huge neurofibroma, a sort of peripheral nerve tumor distinguished by the slow development of soft lumps on or beneath the skin. According to Niranjan Naik, Senior Director of Surgical Oncology at FMRI, such tumors can significantly impair a patient's quality of life by limiting mobility, resulting in cosmetic disfigurement, discomfort, pain, and occasionally heavy bleeding due to bed sore formation. Genetic abnormalities play a role in the development of these tumors.

Giant neurofibroma is a type of peripheral nerve tumour that forms soft bumps on or under the skin which can grow to a very large size gradually over a longer period. These tumours are very vascular in nature, containing large pools of blood in most areas

Niranjan Naik, Senior Director, Surgical Oncology, FMRI

Due to the significant risk posed by the tumors' size and complexity, the patient has been denied surgery at multiple facilities in multiple nations. According to Dr. Naik, these tumors are extremely vascular and have big blood pools in most places, which significantly raises the danger of uncontrollable bleeding during surgery.

They chose to use skin from the non-cancerous tumor itself rather than the usual skin transplants from the patient's thighs. (Representational image: Wikimedia commons)

To address this challenge, the surgical team at FMRI implemented two procedures to block 11 significant blood vessels before undertaking the intricate operation. The tumor, which had multiple large arterial and venous channels, covered the entire patient's back, revealing about 18% of his body's surface as bare skin.

The surgeons used an innovative approach to cover the significant post-surgery region after the tumor was successfully removed in a ten-hour procedure. They chose to use skin from the non-cancerous tumor itself rather than the usual skin transplants from the patient's thighs. This choice made it easier to fully cover the patient's back, which improved the chances of success.

The patient was released from the hospital in stable condition four days following the procedure. The patient is currently free of disease and is expected to have a positive outcome in the future because the tumor is not cancerous.

(Input from various media sources)

(Rehash/ Susmita Bhandary/MSM)

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