Doctors in Hyderabad remove football-sized kidney tumor

HYDERABAD: A "football-sized" kidney tumour weighing 10 kgs was successfully removed by doctors at the Asian Institute of Nephrology and Urology (AINU) to save the life of a middle-aged man. This successful surgery is the first of its kind in the Telugu States and the second in the country.

This complex and challenging procedure was successfully completed by a team of Urologists led by Dr Mallikarjuna C, which included Dr Taif Bendigeri and Dr Rajesh K Reddy.

A 53-year-old Kadapa resident with abdominal swelling was referred to AINU. Doctors examined the patient and discovered a significant abdominal mass lesion. The tumour was discovered to be growing from the left kidney using imaging. A considerable portion of the abdominal cavity was taken up by the mass, which also forced the intestines into the right lower quadrant.

Dr. Mallikarjuna C, renowned consultant Urologist and managing director, Asian Institute of Nephrology & Urology, commented on the patient's condition, the complexity of the case, and the treatment administered, saying, "Considering the size of the tumour, we ruled out robotic procedure, and instead opted for an open surgery." The tumour could be successfully removed with great effort. We discovered the tumour was extremely large, the size of a football, after surgery. The tumour was confirmed to be a cancerous growth (Renal Cell Carcinoma) by microscopic examination."

"There was swelling in the abdomen, which the patient did not notice much or may have ignored despite the pain." The cancerous left kidney was removed by our team. The surgical margins were clear at the microscopic level, indicating that the tumour had been completely removed. Fortunately, the patient did not require any additional treatment because the tumour had not spread to any other organs. We have warned him not to ignore follow-up. That will aid in regular monitoring," said urologist Dr. Rajesh K. Reddy and Dr. Taif Bendigeri, who participated in the surgical procedure.

Dr. Purnachandra Reddy, Executive Director and Chief Consultant Urologist at AINU, had a word of caution for everyone. Urological cancers, according to him, are on the rise all over the world. This must be taken seriously. AINU routinely performs urological cancer surgeries. The hospital is well-equipped with a surgical robot and laparoscopy, which allows for key-hole surgery. In contrast to the current situation, if a patient is diagnosed at an early stage, a partial nephrectomy (tumour removal without sacrificing a healthy part of the kidney) can be performed using key-hole surgery, according to Dr. Reddy.