Bhubaneswar: In a significant medical breakthrough, a team of oncology surgeons at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, under Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) Deemed to be University, successfully performed a rare and complex lung cancer surgery on a female patient.
The 45-year-old woman had been experiencing persistent symptoms, including coughing up blood. Initially misdiagnosed with tuberculosis at another hospital, she later approached IMS and SUM Hospital, where pulmonology specialists Prof. (Dr.) Banani Jena and Prof. (Dr.) Rakhi Ludum correctly identified her condition as lung cancer.
Upon diagnosis, the patient was referred to the Onco Surgery department, where Dr. Sunil Agrawal and his team confirmed that she had Mucoepidermoid Cancer of the left main bronchus, extending to the left upper lobe bronchus. Given the rarity of this condition—affecting only one in 2 million individuals—the team, led by Dr. Agrawal, undertook a highly challenging surgical procedure to remove the affected portion of her lung.
The intricate operation, which lasted over five hours, was carried out with guidance from Dr. Saravana Rajamanickam, a renowned Surgical Oncologist specializing in lung cancer from the Thangam Cancer Center in Tamil Nadu. Dr. Agrawal, who had received specialized training in this procedure in Shanghai last year, explained that the surgery, known as ‘Sleeve Resection,’ involved the complete removal of the cancerous section.
“The hospital had acquired advanced surgical instruments specifically for this procedure, which made the surgery possible,” Dr. Agrawal stated, expressing gratitude to SOA Founder President Prof. (Dr.) Manojranjan Nayak and Medical Superintendent Prof. (Dr.) Pusparaj Samantasinhar for their unwavering support.
The patient, who was discharged just seven days after the surgery, is now in stable condition and recovering well.
The surgical team included Dr. Santosh Singh, Professor in the Department of Critical Care; Dr. Saswat Pattnaik, Head of the Department of Anesthesia; along with Associate Professors Dr. Sudam Sarangi, Dr. Snehasish Pradhan, and Dr. Amit Samal. Dr. Shyam Hariharan, Assistant Professor in the Department of Onco Surgery, was also part of the team.
This remarkable achievement underscores SUM Hospital’s growing expertise in advanced cancer treatment, offering new hope to patients facing rare and complex oncological conditions.
