12 kg tumour removed from 67-year-old Ethiopian woman at Gururgam hospital

In a high-risk surgery, doctors at a hospital in Gurugram have successfully removed a tumour weighing 12 kg from the stomach of a 67-year-old Ethiopian woman, officials said on Thursday. According to a statement issued by the Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, the woman had been suffering from severe abdominal pain, loss of appetite and visible abdominal swelling, and a detailed investigation revealed a giant cystic tumour in her stomach. The tumour was later identified as a gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST), a rare condition that can pose serious surgical challenges when detected at an advanced stage, it said. Given the worsening symptoms and compression of nearby organs, surgery was considered the only viable treatment option. The tumour had originated from the stomach and its extraordinary size made the surgery particularly challenging, as normal anatomical planes were distorted and the risk of complications, including heavy bleeding, was high, the doctors of the hospital said at a press conference here. The statement said that surgeons adopted a thoracoabdominal approach to ensure complete removal of the tumour. The operation was completed successfully and the patient showed steady improvement after the procedure before being discharged in a stable condition nine days after the surgery, the statement said.