Bengaluru doctors remove tumour, save eyesight of boy from AP

Bengaluru: Lohit (name changed), a 14-year-old daily wage worker's son from Puttaparthi in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, was presented to a local doctor a month back with a headache. The boy was put through a CT scan and was found to have a 9-cm tumor behind the upper jawbone and close to the brain. A gradual deterioration of vision was noticed in his right eye when he was admitted at HCG Cancer Hospital. Soon, he lost the vision completely. Dr Vishal Rao, Dr. Akshay Kudpaje and the team of doctors from head and neck speciality, performed a detailed clinical evaluation and scans including CT and MRI to ascertain the extent of the spread of the tumor. The child needed an emergency surgery as the tumor had rendered him blind. However, there was a small chance of saving the eye with surgical decompression of the tumor which was sitting on the optic nerve.

The surgery was performed through a multi-disciplinary approach comprising head & neck surgeons, neurosurgeon, eye surgeon and a dedicated anesthesia team. The total cost of the operation and further treatment required finance, and the family could not afford it. Realising the urgent need to perform the surgery immediately and poor economic condition of the boy's family, the team of doctors went for crowd-fundinag in which they achieved success.

Dr Akshay Kudpaje, Surgical Oncologist, HCG Cancer Hospital, Bengaluru, said, "The procedure took about eight hours, in which the tumor was removed by a combined approach (Tranfacial & Transcranial) and had experts from head & neck surgery, Dr. Amresh S Bhaganagare and team from neurosurgery, ophthalmic surgery and an anaesthesia team. We were able to remove the entire tumor and give an excellent cosmetic and functional outcome for this patient.

The most satisfying and joyful moment for our team was when we found out that the boy was able to count the fingers from a distance of six feet! This moment was like an icing on the cake, worthy of our efforts during the difficult times. The child is now recovering well."