Rare keyhole chest surgery removes tumour in 3-year-old girl at AIIMS Patna

AIIMS Patna surgeons successfully removed a rare chest tumour from a 3-year-old girl using minimally invasive techniques, ensuring quicker recovery.

Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna (AIIMS) successfully removed a rare chest tumour from a three-year-old girl from Vaishali using an advanced minimally invasive “keyhole” thoracoscopic surgery, offering renewed hope for the young patient, an institute communique said on Monday.

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-Patna. (PTI)

The tumour, identified as Ganglioneuroma — a rare, benign (non-cancerous) tumour that develops from nerve tissue — measured about 7x6x5 cm and was located close to vital organs including the lungs and heart, according to a communique issued by the institute on Monday.

The complex surgery, performed on March 2, was the first such procedure at AIIMS Patna. Doctors completely removed the tumour through just three tiny 5-mm incisions, avoiding the need for a large chest opening. The minimally invasive approach significantly reduces post-operative pain and enables quicker recovery, especially in young patients.

“The patient is recuperating well and was discharged on March 9. She will come to us for her first follow-up on March 18,” said Amit Sinha, head of paediatric surgery at the institute.

However, doctors said the child continues to face complications due to the tumour’s earlier involvement with the spinal canal. “The patient’s lower limbs are not functioning because of the spinal canal involvement. We will monitor her closely and keep her on regular follow-up. A subsequent spinal surgery is tentatively planned after three months,” Dr Sinha said.

The surgical team led by Dr Sinha included Dr Saurav Srivastava, Dr Amit Kumar, Dr Rashi, Dr Digamber Chaubey, Dr Gaurav Shadilya and Dr Chandni Sinha.

The paediatric anaesthesia team, led by Dr Chandni Sinha, administered single-lung ventilation using an advanced bronchial blocker technique — a highly specialised anaesthesia method that requires considerable precision when performed on very young children.

Doctors used a thoracoscopic technique involving a tiny camera and specialised surgical instruments inserted through small incisions to remove the tumour. The delicate procedure lasted around five hours but helped avoid major surgical trauma, ensuring minimal scarring, less pain and faster healing.

Thoracoscopic tumour removal in small children is a technically demanding procedure requiring specialised surgical and anaesthesia expertise.