New Delhi, Apr 12 (IANS): Doctors at a private hospital here performed a rare surgery on a 60-year-old male patient with a tumor in lower part of neck and protruding into the upper part of chest causing breathing difficulties.

The size of the tumor was found approximately 6 cm in lower part of neck and upper chest which was compressing the trachea (wind pipe) and food pipe significantly and causing breathing and swallowing difficulties to the patient.

During surgery at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, the tumor was found adherent to wind pipe, food pipe, vertebra (back bone), major blood vessels of neck and upper chest, known as paraganglioma of lower neck and upper chest, causing changes in voice modulation.

With slow and meticulous dissection, the tumor was dissected and separated from all major blood vessels, food pipe, wind pipe and blood vessels of chest safely and without any major complications in short duration of three hours.

Head of Surgical team at the hospital Dr. Sangeet Kr. Agarwal said that the tumor was found to be paraganglioma of lower neck going into upper chest. "The site of tumor was very rare and the challenge in surgery was to save major blood vessels going into brain, food pipe and trachea (wind pipe). Tumor was adherent to all vital structures including trachea, food pipe, vertebra, major blood vessels of neck & and upper chest", she added.

However, the tumor was removed safely and the patient is now relieved and discharged without any complication, Dr Agarwal said.