Rare success Doctors remove 15-kilogram tumor from Italian woman
There was little hope for a patient who was admitted to a specialist hospital in Aviano with a 15-kilogram tumor. But the Italian doctors were able to save the woman's life.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- In Aviano, doctors have removed a 15-kilogram tumor from a woman that had grown to over 40 centimeters in size.
- This type of large tumor is very rare: There was little hope that the patient would survive.
- However, the operation was successful and the patient is on the road to recovery.
At the Oncology Reference Center (CRO) in Aviano in the province of Pordenone (Italy), a middle-aged female patient had an abdominal liposarcoma more than 40 centimetres in size and weighing over 15 kilograms removed.
The mass originated from the large omentum, a fold of the peritoneum that hangs down from the stomach like an apron and covers most of the abdominal organs.
The mass has taken up the entire abdominal cavity. They lead to symptoms such as pain, swelling, digestive difficulties and put pressure on neighboring organs.
Less than 20 cases
Less than 20 cases of such tumors have been described in the literature, but never on such a large scale. The tumor obviously had a severe impact on the patient's life and left no hope of recovery.
The operation was performed by the General Oncological Surgery team led by Claudio Belluco and the Anesthesia and Resuscitation team led by Fabrizio Brescia.
The same CRO team had performed a similar operation last year, which was particularly complex and delicate due to more than 16 liters of fluid in the abdominal cavity.
Case to be scientifically investigated
Here is the reason experts speak of a synergy between the surgical and anesthesia staff that made it possible to perform the operation safely and give the patient a real chance of recovery.
"The preoperative examinations indicated an image at the limit of operability," explains Dr. Belluco. "We took on the challenge and it was worth it: the mass could actually be completely removed without having to sacrifice other organs."
The Italian doctor explains further: "The rarity of this type of tumor requires a scientific study of the case, as this experience could also be useful for the treatment of other patients with similar conditions."