Doctors in Gurugram were able to successfully perform a complex surgery to remove a six-centimetre non-cancerous tumour from the skull of a 60-year-old woman from Uzbekistan. The tumour had been causing the patient painful migraines, blurred vision, and was pressing against the main artery supplying blood to her brain. After doctors in Uzbekistan advised against surgery due to the risks involved, the woman decided to seek treatment in India.
Dr Aditya Gupta, Director – Neurosurgery & CNS Radiosurgery, and Co-director of the Cyberknife Center at Artemis Hospital, Gurugram, explained that the patient was suffering from a meningioma, a tumour that arises from the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. Gupta added that while non-cancerous, the tumour was pressing on her optic nerves and the carotid artery supplying blood to the brain.
“The CT scan showed the size of the tumour to be 6 centimetres. It is not very common for a meningioma to grow this big...This was causing unbearable headaches for the patient and blurred vision in her left eye,” he said,
A team of three surgeons and three neuro-anaesthetists performed the challenging surgery, which lasted for six hours. Using navigation-guided micro-surgery, the team was able to completely remove the tumour, despite the risks involved.
"It was a very difficult and risky procedure for someone 60 years old, as the tumour was pressing upon the optic nerves as well as the carotid artery. Such complex surgery at 60 years of age is quite a risky situation for the patient," said Dr Gupta.
Following the surgery, the patient was fully conscious just two hours later and was actively moving around on her own a few days later with no complications.
After the successful completion of the surgery, Dr Gupta said: "My message to people is not to panic if they are diagnosed with a brain tumour. Less than one-third of brain tumours are actually cancerous. With a crack team of surgeons and the latest equipment like Cyberknife, the outcome for the patient is quite good."
The successful surgery serves as a reminder that less than one-third of brain tumours are cancerous, and with the right team of surgeons and the latest equipment, the outcome for the patient can be quite positive.
The patient expressed her gratitude to the doctors of Artemis Hospital.
“After being diagnosed with a large-size brain tumour, I was devastated. I did not know what the future held for me. I am thankful to the doctors of Artemis Hospital for giving me a new lease of life,” she said.