Bengaluru: After being bedridden for almost three months and not being able to walk or even stand, 40-year-old Swagata Hazra underwent a 26-hour surgery at a city hospital for the removal of a large tail tumour.
Ms Hazra from Kolkata had lost power in her right lower limb and hip due to the large high-grade tumour (malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour) in the sacrum (tailbone) and had to depend on others for her day-to-day activities. The family consulted several hospitals and tried several treatments but nothing seemed to work.
The tumour, being malignant, started spreading towards the spinal canal. “As the tumour was not responding to modern medicines, we went for alternative medicines. I had a severe back pain and found it difficult to walk or even stand,” Swagata said.
During an outreach OPD clinics programme by Manipal Hospitals, Whitefield in West Bengal, Swagata met the doctors. After the consultation, she decided to come to Manipal Hospitals.
The doctors at Spine Clinic, Manipal Hospitals Whitefield (MHW), decided to perform En bloc Sacrectomy (Complete removal of sacrum) for the tumour. A surgical team, which included spine surgeons, a surgical oncologist, vascular surgeon, plastic surgeon, team of anaesthetists and four high-skilled nurses, was formed.
Dr Bharat P. Sarkar said, “The lesion was in Swagata's sacrum and pelvic area, and appeared to be an aggressive nerve sheath tumour. It had compressed her spinal cord, leaving her paralysed in lower limb.”
He said that the En bloc Sacrectomy involved reconstruction of the spine and removal of the tumour without touching it. “If we touch the tumour then there is high probability of tumour spreading to other regions,” he said.
Dr Ashwin, Surgical Oncologist, MHW, said, “To reach the tumour and get a clear margin was a great challenge. We removed uterus and rectum to get a clear vision of the malignant mass. We have used the latest device harmonic dissectors which helped us perform the procedure safely.”
Swagata’s husband Subhash said, “It was miraculous. Two days later, she was off pain medication, and she is healthy, energetic and pain-free again.”
