Bhubaneswar: Providing a new lease of life to a 51-year-old male patient Rabindra Bishui form West Bengal, doctors at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar conducted a successful rare scalp tumor operation, today.

This marked a significant milestone in medical innovation and collaborative healthcare efforts. It is an exceptionally rare tumor called synovial sarcoma, especially, that grows in the scalp with only scant documented cases in medical literature. It was the second-of-its-kind in India and a collaborative endeavour by a dedicated team of medical professionals, said an AIIMS spokesperson.

Congratulating the group of doctors for such a rare operation, AIIMS-Bhubaneswar executive director Dr. Ashutosh Biswas reiterated the commitment of the national institute to provide modern and quality health care service to the people of Odisha as well as its neighbouring states.

The patient had gone to different medical colleges and hospitals for critical treatment and was denied. Ultimately, he reached the department of Plastic Surgery in AIIMS-Bhubaneswar. A multidisciplinary team from the health facility, comprising experts in Interventional Radiology, Surgical Oncology, Neurosurgery, Plastic Surgery, Anesthesiology, and Pathology meticulously crafted a treatment strategy under the guidance of Dr. Sanjay Kumar Giri, Head of the department of Burns and Plastic Surgery.

The male patient underwent a complex procedure to address a longstanding scalp swelling that had plagued him for over two decades. The growth, later diagnosed as a 7Kg Synovial Sarcoma tumor, posed a formidable challenge to conventional treatment methods.

Medical superintendent Dr. Dillip Kumar Parida also conveyed his best wishes to the team of doctors for the rare feat.

The intricate procedure involved precise embolization of blood vessels, targeting the bilateral superficial temporal arteries and the left occipital artery, by Dr. Manoj Kumar Nayak from the Radio Diagnosis department, followed by surgical excision by Dr. Rabi Narayan Sahu (Neurosurgery),  Dr. Kanav Gupta, Dr. Anil Kumar, Dr. Phanindra Kumar Swain (Surgical Oncology), Dr. Dinesh, Dr. Sanjay K. Giri, Dr. Santanu Subba, Dr. R K Sahu, Dr. Aparna Kanungo (Plastic Surgery), Dr. Gopika Jith, Dr. Akanksha Rajpoot, and Dr. Ahana.

The procedure was intricate, necessitating ligation of the left external carotid artery and postero-lateral neck dissection, culminating in the successful removal of the tumor.

Despite the challenges posed by the surgery, including significant intra-operative blood loss requiring approximately six units of blood and other blood products, the dedicated anesthesia team led by Dr. Aparajita Panda, along with the vigilant nursing team consisting of Surya, Ashoka, Sibanjali, Pramod, and Sangeeta, ensured the patient's safety and well-being throughout the procedure, which lasted about seven hours.

Following the successful surgery, the male patient received intensive care for around 24 hours before being transitioned to the ward for further observation and recovery. Dr. Pritinanda Mishra's timely pathological evaluation of the specimen played a crucial role in the treatment process.

The collaborative efforts of surgical teams involved not only ensured the successful treatment of a rare scalp tumor but also underscored the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation in addressing complex medical cases.