Bhubaneswar: In a remarkable surgical feat, doctors at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar successfully removed a massive 7-kg tumour from the arm of a 47-year-old woman, relieving her of a rare and debilitating condition she had endured for nearly 30 years.
According to institute sources, the patient, a daily-wage labourer from Baripada in Mayurbhanj district, had been suffering from a giant plexiform neurofibroma affecting her left upper limb. The tumour had gradually enlarged over the years, extending from the middle of her arm to the back of her hand and severely hampering her mobility and daily life.
The enormous swelling had become extremely heavy, restricting shoulder movement, compromising hand function, and making routine tasks increasingly difficult. The skin covering the tumour had also become darkened and ulcerated due to prolonged pressure.
Pre-operative investigations revealed that the tumour was a highly vascular lesion measuring about 45 cm in length, posing a significant surgical challenge because of the high risk of excessive bleeding. Given the complexity of the case, doctors adopted a two-stage surgical approach.
During the first stage, surgeons removed the forearm component of the tumour in a six-hour procedure. After a six-month interval, a second surgery lasting about three hours was carried out to excise the tumour from the hand.
The surgical team utilised advanced vessel-sealing technology, LigaSure, along with meticulous planning and execution to minimise blood loss during the operations. Blood transfusion support was required during the procedures. Following the removal of the tumour, the resultant raw areas were reconstructed using skin grafts harvested from healthy skin available on the excised tissue itself.
This innovative technique eliminated the need to create additional donor-site wounds elsewhere on the patient’s body. The grafts have shown excellent uptake, and the patient is recovering well under regular follow-up care and dressing management.
Congratulating the medical team, institute’s executive director Ashutosh Biswas described the successful surgery as a remarkable achievement and said it had given the patient a new lease of life. The surgical team from the department of Burns and Plas tic Surgery included Sanjay Kumar Giri, Syama Sundar Behera, Ahana Bandyopadhyay, Surya Yashaswi PVS, Keerthi G, Nikhil Kumar Sharma, and Asutosh Adhikari.
Anaesthetic support was provided by Devishree Das and Pooja. Doctors said the successful treatment of this rare and complex condition highlights the importance of advanced surgical expertise, multidisciplinary teamwork, and comprehensive perioperative care in restoring function and significantly improving the quality of life of patients suffering from long-standing disabling conditions.