Kolkata: 54-year-old Abdus Samad from West Bengal, who had a history of severe jaundice and bile duct cancer, was referred to Manipal Hospitals, Old Airport Road, for further treatment.
The patient was managed by an expert interdisciplinary team headed by Dr. Goutham Kumar Mehta, Consultant – Hepatobiliary Surgery, Liver Transplantation Surgery and Dr. Reddi Prasad Yadavalli, Consultant – Interventional Radiology, Manipal Hospitals, Old Airport Road.
“Mr. Abdus Samad came in with very high jaundice and we had to make some diversions from outside by a procedure known as percutaneous trans-hepatic biliary drainage to reduce his jaundice,” said Dr. Goutham Kumar Mehta, who is a proud recipient of the International Scholar Award by the International Liver Transplant Society in 2018 for liver cancer research at Stanford University, USA
As a pioneer in healthcare, Manipal Hospitals is among the largest hospital networks in India, serving over 2 million patients annually. It focuses on developing an affordable tertiary-care multispecialty healthcare framework through its entire multispecialty delivery spectrum, also extending it to homecare.
Surgery is the first-line curative therapy in such cancers. With the vast experience to have dealt with such complicated liver cases, Manipal hospital’s team of doctors successfully completed 8-hour long procedure. Dr. Goutham Kumar further explains, “The common bile duct is a critical junction as all the blood circulation and drainage of liver happen through that area. If a cancer develops in that area, it increases the complexity of the surgery to be performed.”
Bile duct cancer, or cholangiocarcinoma, is a rare, aggressive, and malignant disease that has a mere 20% chance of survival in a five-year span-and that for those who are diagnosed at an early stage.
Speaking about the procedure, Dr. Goutham Kumar stated, “This case was particularly challenging because the cancer had involved the portal vein, which is a main blood supply to the liver. And it required a removal and complex reconstruction of the portal vein.”
The most common symptoms of bile duct cancer include jaundice, itchy skin, white-colored stool, abdominal pain, weight loss and excess fatigue. Some of the most risk factors include older age, and smoking. It requires interdisciplinary team that includes Interventional Radiologist, Medical Oncologist, Radiation Oncologist and a surgeon.
On being asked about COVID-19 posing complications owing to delayed treatment in cancer patients, Dr. Goutham Kumar, said, “Manipal Hospitals at Old Airport Road is a state-of-the-art liver center that takes care of liver cancer patients and we have planned and performed complicated cases even during the ongoing pandemic. Any delay in cancer management can have serious consequences; hence, we urge patients not to delay critical treatment and to use Manipal Hospital’s advanced cancer technology with its experienced interdisciplinary team.”
