SUM surgeons successfully remove rare tumour in a newborn baby

Bhubaneswar: A team of neurosurgeons at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital in the city have recently accomplished a critical surgical procedure to eliminate a rare tumor attached to the tailbone of a newborn. The infant, born to parents from Khurda district, exhibited a tumor resembling a head with skin, ears, and hair, prompting the concerned parents to bring the baby to the hospital.

After a thorough examination by pediatricians a surgical team led by the distinguished neurosurgeon and Principal Advisor (Health Science) at SOA, Prof. Ashok Kumar Mahapatra, decided to proceed with the surgery. The medical condition, known as sacrococcygeal teratoma in medical terminology, posed a life-threatening risk and necessitated immediate intervention for tumor removal.

Addressing the media, Prof. Mahapatra explained that the condition was a congenital defect, manifesting within two to four weeks of conception. The tumor developed at one end of the neural tube, which typically forms the brain and spinal cord. “In this instance, the tumor weighed approximately one kilogram,” he revealed.

Prof. Soubhagya Panigrahi, a Professor in the Neurosurgery department, detailed that the surgery, performed under the state government’s BSKY scheme, lasted nearly three hours. Prof. Ram Chandra Deo, another Professor in the same department, acknowledged the crucial role played by anesthetists and the neonatal ICU team in ensuring the surgery’s success.

During the media briefing, Prof. Prerana Biswal, an Associate Professor in the Anesthesia department, was also present.