A 30-year-old woman suffering from pancreatic cancer underwent a complex surgery at BMHRC. The doctors from the hospital’s surgical oncology department, along with other physicians and their team, successfully performed this surgery.

In this case, the cancer had adhered to the blood vessel near the pancreas, making even a small mistake during surgery potentially fatal for the patient. Typically, such operations take around 10-12 hours, but this surgery was completed in just 3-4 hours. The patient’s condition has significantly improved, and she has been discharged from the hospital.

The patient received free treatment under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Dr Sonveer Gautam, Assistant Professor, Department of Surgical Oncology said that the woman had been battling pancreatic cancer for the past four months.

She was admitted to another hospital for surgery, but the doctors there refused to operate, stating that the cancer had spread from the pancreas to the nearby blood vessel, the portal vein. The portal vein is a very important vein that carries blood from the gastrointestinal tract, gallbladder, pancreas, and spleen to the liver. Surgery could have caused the vein to rupture, which would have been fatal for the patient. Subsequently, the patient came to BMHRC. Considering her condition, we decided to undertake this risky surgery.

After discussing the case with Interventional Radiologist Dr Radheshyam Meena, it was determined that the cancer could be removed from the blood vessel.

The operation was then performed and was completely successful. He mentioned that such operations usually take about 10-12 hours, but we completed it in just 4 hours. This helped in the patient’s speedy recovery. Typically, these operations require blood transfusions due to blood loss, but in this case, there was no need for an external blood transfusion. The patient’s condition has now significantly improved, and she has been discharged from the hospital.

Dr Manisha Srivastava, Acting Director, BMHRC, Bhopal said, “The patient came to BMHRC in a very critical condition. The cancer had spread extensively, and the surgery was very risky. It is very satisfying for us that the patient has now recovered and returned home.”

What is Pancreatic Cancer ?

Pancreatic cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the pancreas, which is located in the lower part of the abdomen. The pancreas produces enzymes that help in digestion and hormones that aid in blood sugar control.