Dubai: A 50-year-old Indian expatriate who complained of abdominal pain was shocked to learn that he had to remove one of his kidneys because of a tumour.
The 1.1kg tumour was removed through a laparoscopic procedure. According to the operating doctor, the size of the tumour and the method of surgery make the case rare in the region.
The patient Rajashekar, who works in facility management, was experiencing abdominal pain. He assumed it was related to digestion, and decided to visit a private clinic.
Speaking to Gulf News, he said, “I consulted a gastroenterologist. I thought it was a routine issue to do with digestion. Little did I realise that it was serious and that I required surgery.”
The patient was asked to get an ultrasound examination, which revealed a mass on his left kidney.
“Apart from the abdominal pain for a few days, I did not experience any other symptoms. So when I was told that I had to undergo a surgery to remove one of my kidneys, I was shocked,” he said.
Rajashekar was referred to the International Modern Hospital (IMH) for further investigation and surgery.
At the hospital, a 15cm tumour was detected in his left kidney, suggestive of kidney cancer. The consultant specialist urologist and laparoscopic surgeon, Dr H. Sanjay Bhat, recommended a minimally invasive surgical procedure called laparoscopic radical nephrectomy instead of a highly invasive traditional open radical nephrectomy. The latter is a traditional procedure to remove a kidney, and requires a large incision just below the ribs. At times, the surgeon has to remove a rib to extract the kidney.
Speaking to Gulf News, Dr Bhat said that the laparoscopic procedure is associated with improved cosmetic outcome and reduced recovery time. He performed the three-hour surgery and removed the left kidney with the tumour weighing 1.1 kilos.
“An incision of only 10cm was made. Compared to an open surgery which has increased operative time and recovery time as well as larger incisions, the laparoscopic radical nephrectomy has become the treatment of choice. The procedure has a huge advantage in terms of minimal scars, better cosmetic outcome, less pain and chances of infection, quick recovery leading to early return to work,” he said.
According to Dr Bhat, the case is rare. “The size of the tumour removed via laparoscopy is unusual. It is also my understanding from colleagues here that laparoscopy for various urological ailments is not being practised as widely in UAE.”
The patient was discharged in the first week of October and hopes to resume work in a couple of weeks.
