Rare Mediastinal Tumor Successfully Removed at Ambedkar Hospital

In the Heart, Chest and Vascular Surgery Department located in Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Memorial Hospital affiliated to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Medical College, Dr. Krishnakant Sahu (Head of Department) and team successfully operated on rare mediastinal tumors located inside the chest and above the heart of two patients respectively. Under the leadership of Dr. Krishnakant Sahu and in a gap of a few days, this department created a record by performing such rare and critical surgeries of mediastinal tumors one after the other. Both the patients are healthy after the surgery. Out of this, one patient is 32 years old and the other patient is 05 years old.

According to Dr. Krishnakant Sahu, in the first case, the 32-year-old patient was suffering from chest heaviness, cough and difficulty in breathing for 10 months. Two years ago, the patient came to know about this disease but was unable to muster courage for the operation. This tumor (cancer) was located above the heart, and was stuck to the left lung and the main pulmonary artery, due to which removing this tumor was extremely critical. The tumor weighed about 1.5 kg and it was about 12X10X10 cm, bigger than the size of the heart.

 A resident of Janjgir-Champa and a welder working in CSEB had been complaining of heaviness in the chest, breathlessness and dry cough for about 10 months. After getting a CT scan done, it was found that there was a very large tumor (cancerous lump) on his heart, which was badly stuck to the heart, lungs and main pulmonary artery. When the patient was told about the risk of the operation, he became very nervous, but after explaining, he agreed to the operation. A tumor of about 1.5 kg was removed from the patient’s heart. Along with the tumor, the lymph nodes spread around were also removed thoroughly so that there is no possibility of cancer recurring. This patient has been discharged from the hospital today after becoming completely healthy.

Giving information about the second case, Dr. Krishnakant Sahu said that a few days ago, a 2.5 kg mediastinal tumor located above the heart of a 5-year-old child from Raigarh was removed through a complicated surgery. This tumor was very large in size, almost equal to half the chest and was so attached to the lungs, aorta, pulmonary artery and heart that it was refused operation in many other centers.

 In medical terms, this mediastinal tumor is called immature teratoma. The child’s parents said that they had taken the child to many big hospitals for its operation, but all of them refused and referred him to the Heart Chest and Vascular Surgery Department of Ambedkar Hospital. The tumor was so huge and spread that its operation seemed absolutely impossible, so the patient’s parents were also told that it is possible that this tumor may not be removed and will have to be left in the same condition. Still, the patient’s parents agreed to the operation. To remove the tumor, an operation had to be done by making an incision on both sides of the sternum and chest (Thoracotomy). A heart lung machine also had to be kept ready for this child, because if a large vein or heart had burst during the operation, this machine would have helped in saving his life. The tumor was completely removed after a lot of effort. After the surgery, this child is completely healthy and has also started going to school.