A man in Kyrgyzstan underwent surgery to remove a 4.5-kilogram tumor from his cheek. The tumor grew so rapidly over three months that it had to be held in place by hand.
For six months, every morning was a battle for his life. A small swelling on the face of a 48-year-old man from Kyrgyzstan gradually grew into a horrific 4.5 kg cancerous tumor. In the last three months, it grew so rapidly that it started hanging on the right side of his face. Due to the smell and weight, he has to be held by the hand at all times. Even on a flight to Delhi, the airline staff made him sit separately because of the foul smell.
The tumor spreads to the cheek, jaw, and neck
By the time he arrived at Fortis Escorts Hospital in Okhla, Delhi, the tumor, a rare extra-skeletal osteosarcoma, had grown to 19 x 18 centimeters and had spread to the cheek, jaw, and neck. His face was severely disfigured, he was constantly infected, and the tumor was located very close to a major blood vessel. Doctors warned that if it ruptured, it could cause fatal bleeding within minutes.
There are less than 100 such cases in the world.
PET-CT and MRI scans revealed the severity of the condition. According to doctors, there are fewer than 100 such cases reported worldwide, and it's considered almost impossible to develop in the face-neck area.
The risky surgery lasted 10 hours.
Led by Dr. Archit Pandit, Director and HOD of Surgical Oncology, a team of specialists, including Dr. Vineet Goyal and Dr. Kushal Bairolya, performed the risky surgery. During the nearly 10-hour operation, doctors removed the massive tumor along with surrounding skin, salivary glands, facial muscles, and lymph nodes. Half of the patient's face was then reconstructed using a skin-muscle flap taken from his back, requiring extreme precision using microvascular techniques.
The patient was discharged from the hospital in 6 days
Dr. Pandit said, "This is one of the largest head and neck soft-tissue sarcomas ever removed. The tumor was rapidly growing, infected, and located very close to major blood vessels. If not treated promptly, it could have been fatal. Our team, through remarkable coordination, saved the patient's life." Despite undergoing extensive surgery, the patient recovered rapidly and was discharged from the hospital in just six days. He described it as his "second chance at life."
Dr. Vikram Agarwal, Vice President and Facility Head at Fortis Escorts, said that this case demonstrates India's advanced surgical capabilities. This success brings hope to international patients who seek life-saving, cutting-edge cancer treatment. This is one of the largest head and neck soft-tissue tumors successfully removed in the world, and it's a testament to our precision surgery.
PC:NBT
