BENGALURU: Life was no less than hell for Muzna Mohammad, a 22-year-old from Oman, who was diagnosed with a tumour inside her spinal cord. Doctors in Oman made it clear that the surgery required for biopsy and removal of the tumour is high risk and could lead to paralysis, and in some cases, lifelong incontinence. But thanks to a city doctor, her smile is back.
She had almost chosen to accept life with the tumour. However, she found it difficult to go through her daily routine, including pursuing her studies since moving around was difficult. Muzna then learnt from some people in Oman, who had Indian connections, that Dr Murali Mohan, neurosurgeon, Sagar Hospitals in Bengaluru, had successfully operated upon similar cases. “I came to India and after meeting Dr Mohan, I decided to take the risk, because he assured me the best results,” said Muzna.
Mohan said a tumour in the spinal cord is rare, be it cancerous or non-cancerous. In Muzna’s case, it was non-malignant but still risky. Muzna’s four-hour surgery, which was carried out in the first week of August, was successful. “The tumour was removed from a 7mm opening in the spinal cord. The high-resolution microscopes and intraoperative ultrasound to point the location of the tumour helped,” said Mohan.
Dr Gayatri, a neuro anaesthetist and IONM specialist, said, “The success rate of spinal cord tumour surgeries is low but techniques like Intraoperative and Neuromonitoring (IONM), which gives real-time feedback about the functional status of the spinal cord, help. Modern anaesthesia also allows assessment of muscle function and sensation during surgeries.”