In rare op, tumors from heart-lung artery removed

Lucknow: In a life-saving surgery , doctors at Medanta Hospital removed successfully a rare heart tumour that spread dangerously into the patient's right lung artery, a condition so uncommon it affects only about one in 1 lakh people. The patient, a 57-year-old man with a history of high blood pressure, struggled with unexplained breathlessness. Tests revealed a large 5x4 cm tumour in his heart's right atrium, blocking the tricuspid valve. To make the case more complex, part of the tumour broke off and lodged itself deep in the right pulmonary artery. Under cardiopulmonary bypass, the surgical team, led by Dr Gauranga Majumdar removed the tumour from the heart and the lung artery on Apr 20. The patient is now stable and recovering in the intensive care unit.

"It was one of the rarest and most delicate surgeries I've performed," said Dr Gauranga Majumdar, director of cardiac surgery , who led the operation. "When tumours from heart travel to lungs like this, it can cause sudden death. Timely diagnosis and immediate surgery were vital to saving his life."

Dr Rakesh Kapoor, medical director at Medanta, applauded the efforts of the entire team.