Doctors at the Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) have achieved success in conducting minimally invasive surgery on an 11-month-old infant to extract a tumor from his adrenal gland using the Posterior Retroperitoneoscopic method for the procedure.
The infant girl, hailing from Kollam, was found to have a tumor on her right adrenal gland following an ultrasound conducted by Dr. Sanuja Titus Santosh, Senior Consultant, Department of Pediatrics. The discovery was made when the baby exhibited persistent crying. Subsequent confirmation through a CT scan revealed the presence of the tumor in the adrenal gland, located above the right kidney and in close proximity to large blood vessels and the liver.
The adrenal gland plays a crucial role in secreting hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, crucial for survival in stressful situations. Considering the child’s young age, there was a significant possibility that the adrenal tumor could be cancerous. Traditional surgical removal involves a large incision in the abdomen, moving the intestines to the side to reach the tumor site.
Yet, the position of the adrenal tumor rendered it especially suitable for the posterior retroperitoneoscopic method, which approaches the tumor from the rear side through keyhole.
Throughout the two-and-a-half-hour surgery, the medical team extracted the adrenal tumor via a small keyhole incision on the back, with the child positioned face down (prone) under anesthesia.
Dr. Reju Joseph Thomas, Senior Consultant, Pediatric Minimal Access Surgeon, highlighted that this approach allows surgery to be conducted without entering the abdomen and without disrupting any other internal organs.
Utilizing Ligasure, a specialized instrument capable of tissue sealing and cutting simultaneously, not only decreased the risk of blood loss but also minimized pain and scarring.
Remarkably, the infant was able to eat and drink later that evening, and by the following day, she was sitting up and playing. Dr. Jacob John Theophilus, a Senior Consultant in the Department of Anesthesia, led the anesthesia team. The surgical team additionally comprised Dr. Shaji Palangadan, a Senior Consultant in Cardiothoracic Surgery, and Dr. Jayanand Sunil, a Consultant in Surgical Oncology.