Single keyhole surgery performed for lung cancer

BENGALURU: In a first in the country, Mazumdar Shaw Medical Centre, Narayana Health City, performed a single keyhole surgery on a lung cancer patient recently. The 47-year-old Rajesh (name changed), a farmer, was leading a normal life till his sickness surfaced. Initially, he had a regular cough, but later noticed blood in his sputum. As his condition worsened, a complete evaluation was done which revealed an early stage cancer and he was admitted in May. Doctors at Mazumdar Shaw Medical Centre, Narayana Health City, recommended the single keyhole surgery.

“It involves only one cut measuring about 5 cm. It causes less pain and helps in faster recovery when compared to open surgery, which involves cutting of muscles and spreading of ribs which causes bleeding, more pain and longer recovery period,” said Dr. Vijay C.L., Consultant Thoracic Surgeon at Mazumdar Shaw Medical Centre. Dr Arul D. Furtado, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon at Apollo Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, said, “Virtually any cancer afflicting the organs of the chest, including the lung, can be treated with the minimally invasive approach. This can be accomplished through a Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) or Robotic Thoracic Surgery. The operation is performed with much less pain and trauma using the same surgical principles of open surgery.”

The patient, Rajesh, told Deccan Chronicle, “When I got to know that I was suffering from lung cancer, I was devastated as I am the sole breadwinner of my family. I never imagined that I would recover from this life-threatening disease. Today, I am not only getting better, but leading a normal life too.”

Dr. Vijay said that in Rajesh’s case, the size of the tumour was 3 cm and previously the patient had an infection in his chest which made the surgery difficult. Single keyhole surgery, though technically challenging, does not require prolonged post-surgery care. Rajesh was discharged within three days and is now recovering.  Lung cancer is a major public health concern in the country as over 70,000 people fall prey to it every year. This is now the leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women, according to Globocon by the World Health Organisation (WHO).