Rare cardiac tumour removed from an obese patient at pvt hospital

CHENNAI: A 32-year-old extremely obese, young man weighing 120kg got a second chance at life after undergoing a challenging and rare cardiac tumor surgery at a private hospital in the city recently.

The patient was treated through a minimally invasive keyhole surgery over conventional sternotomy. He was presented at Fortis Malar hospital with symptoms of breathlessness and frequent episodes of giddiness.

Post diagnosis, Dr Manohar G, Senior Interventional Cardiologist identified that the symptoms were due to a very large cardiac tumor, in his right atrium and measured 11.5x8 cms. Due to its heavy mass, the tumor was completely blocking the blood flow to the right ventricle by occupying the entire right atrium.

Cardiac tumors are a rare occurrences as cardiac tissues are very resistant to cancer. Unremoved cardiac tumors can be fatal as it blocks blood circulation. The clinical experts at Fortis Malar diagnosed the tumor at the appropriate time and excised and rebuilt the chamber with a small incision under the supervision of Dr Thejaswi N Marla, Clinical Lead, Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery, Fortis Malar.

This is the largest cardiac tumor excised in medical history that too by a minimally invasive procedure. If the mass had embolized it would have blocked the pulmonary artery leading to immediate death. The surgery would have been incomplete if the atrium was not properly reconstructed with sufficient chamber space. The case was challenging as the patient was heavily obese, " said Dr Thejaswi.

Doctors said that after his first review, the condition of the patient was fine, and his cardiac function is normal. Choosing the right treatment procedure and timely assessment helped the patient to get a new lease of life.