Rare Cancerous Lung Tumour Successfully Removed in 43-Year-Old Woman via complex Procedure at Fortis Escorts Jaipur

Doctors at Fortis Escorts Hospital Jaipur successfully operated and removed a large Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma – a rare cancerous tracheal tumor from the right lung of a 43-year-old woman through an advanced surgical procedure. The team of doctors led by Dr. Vinod Kumar Sharma, Consultant, Pulmonology and Critical Care, Fortis Escorts Hospital, Jaipur successfully conducted the procedure and saved the patient from life-threatening respiratory failure. Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma is an extremely rare tumour, with only one to two cases reported per million people globally.

The patient, who had been undergoing treatment for asthma since December last year, arrived at the hospital’s emergency department with persistent cough, severe respiratory distress, noisy breathing, and an inability to lie down comfortably. Despite being on inhalation therapy and oral medications for several months, her symptoms had progressively worsened. A detailed clinical evaluation and a chest CT scan found a large tumor measuring approximately 1.5 inches on the front-right side of the windpipe. It revealed that the tumor was growing into the main airway of the right lung and was pressing against the area where the windpipe splits into two. The tumor had nearly completely blocked the airway, causing critical Central Airway Obstruction and placing the patient at imminent risk of asphyxia and life-threatening respiratory failure.

Considering the complexity and high-risk factors associated with the surgery, a multidisciplinary team comprising specialists from Pulmonology, Anaesthesiology and Critical Care was constituted for meticulous planning and execution of the surgery. The procedure required full anaesthesia support and continuous monitoring due to the possibility of massive bleeding, sudden cardiac complications, and complete airway collapse during intervention. The three-hour-long surgery was successfully performed using the advanced Rigid Bronchoscopy technique. The patient responded remarkably well to the procedure, with complete resolution of respiratory distress and noisy breathing. Following an uneventful post-operative recovery and a follow-up bronchoscopy, she was discharged the very next day.

Giving details of the case, Dr. Vinod Kumar Sharma, Consultant, Pulmonology and Critical Care, Fortis Escorts Hospital, Jaipur said, “Rigid Bronchoscopy is a highly specialised procedure that uses a rigid metal tube to examine the trachea and upper airway to remove central tumors and foreign bodies in the airway, while simultaneously maintaining oxygenation and ventilation of the patient. It is usually done at tertiary care centers like AIIMS Delhi and PGIMER Chandigarh. Fortis Jaipur now becomes one of these centers of excellence in pulmonology and critical care medicine with availability of such complex and skilled techniques including Endobronchial ultrasound and Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation(ECMO).”
Dr. Manish Agarwal, Facility Director, Fortis Escorts Hospital Jaipur, said, “We, at Fortis Escorts Hospital, are committed to pushing the boundaries of medical innovation and delivering the best possible results for our patients. This was quite a critical case, and I would like to congratulate Dr. Vinod Kumar Sharma who treated the patient successfully with the help of the team of doctors at the hospital. At Fortis Healthcare, we always put our best foot forward and ensure the best possible treatment to our patients.”