Doctors Successfully Remove 8-Kilogram Tumor From Man's Face

A 31-year-old man has undergone a series of surgical procedures in India to have an 8-kilogram tumor removed from the right side of his face.

Manbodh Bagh, who hails from the Indian state of Odisha, suffered from a rare condition called plexiform neurofibroma, a benign tumor of peripheral nerves, since childhood, reported The Hindu. The tumor grew as he aged and has been a source of humiliation throughout his life.

He already consulted several doctors, some of whom even attempted to do partial resection or the process of cutting out tissue or organ. Unfortunately, none of these plans pushed through.

A major hospital once reviewed his case and tried performing surgery on him but later stopped the procedure due to uncontrolled bleeding.

It was then that he came to the Aster CMI Hospital in Bengaluru for treatment through a crowdsourced effort.

He underwent further tests, and it was found that the tumor was already covering the right side of his face, head and neck. It had infiltrated into the right orbit and completely engulfed his right eye, making surgical removal difficult and risky.

"His CT scan also showed his facial bones were destroyed by the tumor. The tumor gets blood supply from different blood vessels, which in turn grows the size of the tumor and also grows the blood vessels. If we removed the tumor as is, it would lead to massive bleeding which is what happened in the previous hospital. Hence, we blocked the blood supply to the tumor so he bled less," Dr. Ravi Gopal Varma, lead consultant for neurosurgery and chief of neurosciences, told The New Indian Express.

Bagh then underwent 16 different surgical procedures over six months to get rid of the tumor. However, despite blocking the blood supply to it, Bagh still lost a fair amount of blood. He had to be transfused with 40 liters of fluids, blood and blood components during the operation.

According to the doctors, it was also difficult to get Bagh's breathing tube into his trachea for his first surgery because the tumor was affecting his mouth opening. The tumor had also destroyed his facial bones, making it more challenging for doctors to restore it. A team of experts then used CT scans data to do a 3D printed skull model of his face to assess the extent of the tumor and its removal and reconstruction.

Eventually, the tumor was successfully removed. After 48 hours, Bagh underwent reconstruction surgery. The said procedure was done in two stages using three flaps of skin and muscles from both of his thighs as well as his right forearm.

Bagh reportedly weighed 58 kilograms prior to the procedure. However, after that, his weight was down to 44 kilograms.

He has been discharged from the hospital, though follow-up checkups are still ongoing. He is currently doing well and is already back in his hometown, tumor-free and without complications.