Hospital Joins Hands For Cancer Treatement

Annadurai (right), who underwent the facial reconstruction surgery, with the doctors of G.K.N.M. Hospital and Ganga Hospital on Tuesday. A cancer surgeon of the G. Kuppuswamy Naidu Memorial (GKNM) Hospital and plastic surgeons of Ganga Hospital have teamed up to remove the cancer-affected portion of a man’s cheek and restore the original shape of his face. Early detection, timely surgery and eschewing tobacco use were the messages doctors gave while explaining the case.

Early detection, timely surgery and eschewing tobacco use were the messages doctors gave while explaining the case

The cancer surgeon carved out the affected portion and a little more of the surrounding tissues for safety sake in a nearly four-hour surgery. The plastic surgeons took over immediately for another four-hour procedure to restore the shape of the face. An eight-member team of cancer, maxillo facial and plastic surgeons and anaesthetists were involved in the surgery. Cancer surgeon P. Arul Raj told presspersons that two patients operated upon as part of this joint approach were tobacco chewers. He said 30 per cent of all neck and head cancers were caused by tobacco use.

P. Annadurai (40), an employee in an engineering wing of the defence services, was one of the two cases presented at a press briefing held by both the hospitals. The patient said he had been chewing tobacco for 20 years. The cancer-affected portion was a huge bulge in the left cheek that had forced him to cover his face over the last six months.

The affected portion was removed by Dr. Arul Raj and maxillo facial surgeon from Ganga Hospital B. Kannan. After this, Head of the Department of Plastic, Micro and Hand Surgery at Ganga Hospital S. Rajasabapathy and plastic surgeons V. Hari Venkataramani and Ravindra Bharathi set about the task of reconstructing the face. The anaesthesia team comprised V. Ravindra Bhat, G. Venkateswaran and V. Bhoopathy.

Dr. Rajasabapathy said a flap from the inner portion of the left arm was take out along with arteries and veins and then fixed on the face. In turn, the arm got a skin flap from the thigh. The patient can now undergo radiation therapy and chemotherapy for cancer cure. This kind of surgery makes it easier to carry out these forms of treatment.” Pointing out that this was both a curative and quality of life surgery, Dean of GKNM Hospital Ramkumar Raghupathy said that apart from highlighting an inter-institution approach, such cases should help in telling the public of the dangers of using tobacco in any form.

Dr. Rajasabapathy said a collaborative approach by cancer and plastic surgeons was ideal in these cases. Director of the Valavadi Narayanaswami Cancer Centre at GKNM Hospital T. Balaji said the centre identified the patients and the surgery was done at Ganga Hospital. They came back to the centre for follow-up treatment. The other patient who also underwent a surgery for oral cancer was a woman with the habit of chewing tobacco. She had her affected jaw bone replaced with one from the leg, the doctors said.

26.03.2008.

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