Mohan Kuthar

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (EP)

Mangaluru, Dec 21: For the first time in India, a rare complex surgery was performed by the department of surgical oncology, Yenepoya Cancer Centre, Yenepoya Medical College, Deralakatte to save the leg of a four-year-old boy suffering from high-grade rare bone cancer (osteosarcoma of the femur).

The parents of the child consulted major cancer centres and specialist hospitals across India where it was advised that amputation of the limb was the only option. They then approached the head of the department at Yenepoya Cancer Centre, Deralakatte, Dr Jalaluddin Akbar K C for advice. The case was discussed in the hospital tumour board and taken up as a challenge to save the leg of the boy, as the parents refused amputation. Dr Jalaluddin Akbar and Dr M Vijayakumar, who have vast experience of limb saving surgeries for bone cancers, along with the department of Surgical Oncology designed a special expandable prosthesis for the child and approached two companies to custom manufacture it. The German company quoted a cost of Rs 30 lac and a company from Chennai was willing to do it at Rs 1.5 lac. The prosthesis was manufactured in Chennai. The child underwent a complex surgery and the leg and the life of the child were saved. The surgery duration was six hours. The post-operative period was uneventful.

The challenge, in this case, is that no centre in India has done such surgery in this age group and very few cases are reported across the world as per literature review. The problem in doing limb saving surgery in such a young child is managing the growing bone and maintaining equal limb length on both the sides and unavailability of the prosthesis to do that. Hence, a custom made expanding prosthesis was designed and a major milestone was achieved in breaking the barrier of not doing limb salvage in such young patients. The doctors say that it is a great achievement and a proud moment for Yenepoya Cancer Centre to be the first in India and one among the few centres in the world to perform a limb salvage surgery in such a young patient. The doctors are publishing this case in an international journal.