SKSH Hospital Succeeds In Removing Rare Pharyngeal Tumor
A medical team in Sheikh Khelifa Specialty Hospital in Ras Al Khaimah (SKSH-RAK) succeeded in conducting an operation to remove a rare benign tumor from a UAE patient aged 58.
The patient was suffering from shortness of breath due to a big mass of 3.5 cm that blocked her airway path at just behind the tongue.
Dr. Myung-Whun Sung, CEO of SKSH-RAK and head of the team who conducted the operation, stated that the surgery which took three hours had been done in three medical procedures to remove the rare tumor. "The tumor consisted of a vascular mass inside the airway track in the neck, anatomically called the hypopharynx; the patient had several previous CT scans and MRI in two different hospitals in the UAE but did not get the final diagnosis."
He noted that the patient who was referred to Sheikh Khelifa Specialty Hospital in Ras Al Khaimah (SKSH-RAK), conducted MRI to make a correct diagnosis of the mass and to check its vascularity. The tests proved that the mass has blocked the airway and trachea causing severe shortness of breath. An MRI was done to define the size of the tumor since it was in a sensitive area.
Dr. Sung emphasised that prior to the operation, the surgeons conducted an important procedure called "angiography embolization" to confirm the diagnosis and prevent any significant bleeding during the operation. "We then had to do the operation within a couple of days to have this preoperative procedure effective," he said.
He added that the operation was conducted by a team of three doctors, achieving a successful complete removal of the tumor with minimal blood loss, and reconstructed the airway at the same time enable the patient to breath. The histopathologic diagnosis of the tumor was "paraganglioma", which is rare but notorious for its difficulty in operation due to high vascularity.
Speaking about the condition of the patient, Dr. Sung said, "the patient is now in a good health and the operation was successful with no complications. We are waiting for her complete recovery to discharge her from the hospital in a few days."
Emirate: Ras Al Khaimah
Date: Jun 3, 2015
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