AIIMS Jammu Performs Complex Neurosurgery On Teen With Rare Skull Tumour

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Jammu has successfully performed a reconstructive neurosurgery on a 15-year-old girl, who was suffering from a rare bony tumour affecting her forehead and eye socket. The patient from Punjab's Pathankot was diagnosed with an aneurysmal bone cyst — a benign but aggressive tumour — which caused facial deformity and gradual loss of vision, forcing her to stop attending school, the doctors who operated on her said. They said that the case was challenging as the tumour had invaded the brain and was receiving part of its blood supply from healthy brain tissue.

After weeks of planning, the surgery was carried out by Dr Kanav Gupta and Dr Shaurya Darbari, assistant professors in the Department of Neurosurgery, with support from the anaesthesia team led by Dr Raksha Kundal and Dr Aleesha.

During the operation, surgeons used advanced intraoperative navigation to precisely locate the tumour's deep extensions around the eye socket, they said.

A cell-saver system was also employed to collect, purify and reinfuse the patient's own blood, reducing the need for transfusions, they said.

Following complete removal of the tumour, the resulting bony defect was reconstructed using a titanium graft, they said.

The eyebrow region, crucial for cosmetic appearance, was carefully rebuilt using a quick-setting polymer bone putty, moulded during surgery to match the natural contour of the opposite side, they said.

The girl has made a good recovery and is ready for discharge with restored facial symmetry and improved vision, bringing a transformative change to her life and family, officials said.

Dr Darbari, the officiating head of the neurosurgery department, said the case reflects the progress made by the department since its establishment seven months ago, highlighting that over 120 neurosurgeries have already been performed.

The patients from Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh are now seeking advanced care at the institute, he added.

Executive Director and CEO Prof D N Sharma said that the achievement demonstrates that complex brain and spinal surgeries — for which patients earlier had to travel to distant institutions like AIIMS New Delhi or PGIMER Chandigarh — are now available locally in Jammu. 

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