A team of health care professionals successfully performed a lifesaving surgery to remove a massive tumor from a 38-year-old patient. The 132-pound ovarian tumor is one of the largest known ovarian tumors in the world.
Rapid Tumor Growth
A 38-year-old patient of the Danbury Hospital in Connecticut was said to be extremely malnourished at 350 pounds and could no longer walk due to leg swelling as a result of the heavy weight of the tumor in her abdomen.
Evidently, the tumor's growth was rather quick, as the patient experienced a rapid weight gain of about 10 pounds per week since November 2017. It was because of this that the patient sought medical attention from a gynecologist, and a computed tomography (CT) scan revealed the mass to be a large ovarian tumor that was already sitting on her digestive tract. It was found to be occupying her entire abdomen, stretching the skin, and disfiguring her midsection.
Her doctor then referred her case to Dr. Vaagn Andikyan, a gynecologic oncologist, who immediately assembled a team of 25 surgeons, physicians, and clinical specialists to have the massive tumor removed.
Lifesaving Surgery
As the surgery might be a tricky one due to the tumor's size, Dr. Andikyan, along with other health care specialists, prepared well and practiced for five different potential scenarios in just two weeks. For instance, cardiovascular experts were also present in her care team, as the nearly 100-centimeter tumor was dangerously compressing major blood vessels, making her vulnerable to blood clots.
To reduce the number of surgeries that the patient will endure, doctors removed the tumor as well as other affected tissue and also performed reconstructive surgery on her abdomen during the five-hour procedure last February.
"During the surgery, we removed this gigantic tumor that originated from her left ovary. We removed her left ovary, her left (fallopian) tube, and we removed the affected peritoneal tissue that was adhering to the ovary," said Dr. Andikyan. He further states that the tumors of this size are actually exceedingly rare, so much so that it could very possibly be in the top 10 or 20 largest tumors removed worldwide.
Amazingly, the patient got to go home just two weeks after her surgery and did not require any additional treatment.
Mucinous Ovarian Tumor
Evidently, the patient was suffering from a mucinous ovarian tumor, which is a type of tumor that makes up 15 percent of all ovarian tumors. It is benign, or non-cancerous, almost 80 percent of the time, but it is known for being one of the largest types of tumors.
For now, doctors are conducting genetic tests to determine why the tumor grew so large in just two months. The patient is said to be doing very well and is already back to work three months after the surgery. As the doctors were able to save most of her reproductive organs, she also still has the option of having more children.
