RARE TUMOR surgery at CMCH

Ludhiana, February 20, 2013: Skull base surgery team involving Neurosurgeons and ENT surgeons at CMCH claims to have conducted a major surgery of a rare brain tumor in a 40 year old female.

This 40-year-old housewife has never thought that her difficulty in swallowing and hoarseness of speech can be due to some brain tumor. So when she was investigated for her symptoms it was found that she was having a very rare complex tumor involving skull base region of the brain. Tumor was close to many critical structures of the brain. She was refused surgery at other private institutes and was referred to CMCH for further management. This kind of complex and aggressive tumor requires high level of surgical expertise and teamwork. Skull base team at CMCH, first of its kind in region involving Neurosurgeons, ENT surgeons and Neurointerventionist headed by Dr Sarvpreet Singh Grewal decided to take up the challenge and went ahead with the surgery.

The surgical team comprised of Dr. Sukhdeep Singh Jhawar, assistant professor neurosurgery, Dr. Ashsish Vargesh professor and head ENT, Dr Valsa Abrahem professor and head, Anesthesia. The operation lasted fifteen hours and was successful. Patient improved after surgery and was discharged on 10^th day. Dr. Sukhdeep S Jhawar assistant professor neurosurgery, told our reporter that skull base region is the most difficult region of the body to operate. These tumors known as “glomus tumor” are very rare and not seen in day-to-day practice. Operations in this region require high level of surgical expertise, teamwork and institutional back up. This was a one of the first operation of this kind in region. But with recent advances and modernization we are able to do such complex cases at CMCH with our expert team.

Skull base surgery is final frontier of neurosurgery and involves areas between brain nose and ears. An expert team familiar with diseases of these areas was lacking in the region. So to provide world class care for these patients CMCH has started this sub specialty.  Patients with CSF leaks, skull base tumors and skull spine junction anomalies will be managed by this team with all modern facilities.