A team of ENT and Head and Neck surgeons at the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital here has successfully performed a highly complex surgery for a Carotid Body Tumour (Carotid Body Paraganglioma) on a Yemeni woman.
The surgery, the first operation of this sort in any hospital in Rajasthan, was performed by a high-profile team of doctors led by world-renowned ENT and Head surgeon Prof (Dr) Suresh Chandra Sharma, along with Dr Bhinyaram. The procedure was performed on a 64-year-old Yemeni woman, Sabah Omar Mohammed Ba Naga, setting a new benchmark in advanced head and neck surgery.
Although this was the first case of a successful Carotid Body Tumour surgery in Rajasthan, team leader Prof Sharma, former Head of the ENT Department at AIIMS, Delhi, has so far successfully performed 500 such surgeries during his distinguished career.
Notably, the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital has recently established a state-of-the-art ENT & Head and Neck Surgery Centre, attracting patients with complex disorders from India and abroad.
Regarding the case history, Dr Bhinyaram said Ba Naga had been suffering from swelling and pain in her neck for a long time. The treatment for her condition was not available in Yemen.
Through an internet search, she learned that Prof (Dr) Suresh Chandra Sharma, one of the world’s most experienced surgeons in Carotid Body Tumour surgery, was practising at Mahatma Gandhi Hospital.
Following an online consultation, she travelled to Jaipur with her daughter, Kauthar, for treatment.
Detailed investigations revealed bilateral carotid body paragangliomas along with a skull base tumour, making the condition extremely challenging. The tumour was in an advanced stage and had encased the carotid artery almost 360 degrees. Such cases carry a very high surgical risk, as even a minor error can result in life-threatening haemorrhage. However, equipped with the expertise and rich experience of the surgical team, the surgery achieved complete success.
Dr Bhinyaram explained that surgeries of this nature can be performed only at a few highly specialised medical centres in the country. Mahatma Gandhi Hospital is also providing advanced treatment for head and neck cancers and other complex conditions using modern robotic surgical techniques.
Apart from the medical challenges, he said issues related to visa extensions, accommodation, and language interpretation were also addressed during the patient’s treatment.
These challenges were resolved in a timely manner, ensuring uninterrupted care.
The contribution of the Department of Anaesthesiology was also crucial to the success of the surgery. The anaesthesia team included Dr Nikhil Soni, Dr Avnish Bhardwaj, Dr Vijay Mathur, and Dr Narendra Kumar.
Expressing their gratitude after the successful treatment, Ba Naga and her daughter appreciated the high-quality medical care, professionalism, and compassionate support provided by Mahatma Gandhi Hospital.
Ba Naga was operated upon on June 2. After a post-surgery follow-up drill and the removal of stitches, she was allowed to go back home a couple of days ago. Accordingly, the mother and daughter are expected to return to Yemen shortly.