BENGALURU : A 47-year-old woman from Odisha presented with a rare condition called Intravenous Leiomyomatosis (IVL), of which only 300 cases are reported worldwide.
The woman initially sought treatment in Bengaluru for a tumour that developed in her uterus. Her symptoms included heaviness in the abdomen, pressure on rectum, bladder and difficulty passing urine and motion. Even activities such as walking caused fatigue.
An evaluation by doctors found that she was suffering from IVL, a condition wherein the tumour grew from the uterus, spread to the inferior vena cava (the vein that carries deoxygenated blood to the heart) and went right up to the heart. The tumour was growing and had the potential to reach the lungs and lead to death.
“A clot (thrombus) had spread from the inferior vena cava to the heart, resulting in lesser blood flow to the lungs, causing difficulty in breathing. The tumour was around 20x18 cm in the abdomen, and had spread further to 21cm. The long serpentine-shaped clot had started impacting the functioning of her heart,” said Dr Rohit Ranade, Consultant, Gynaec Oncology and Robotic assisted surgeries, Narayana Health City.
A marathon 14-hour surgery was performed with the help of three doctors from three specialities. The primary mass or tumour was removed from the uterus and pelvis, along with the uterus itself.
“There was a huge chance of bleeding and required separation of blood vessels near the liver. Apart from being a rare condition, another challenge was the development of new blood vessels which were never heard of or seen before in the human anatomy. We opened the heart and took out the clot,” said Dr Ranade.
She was discharged within seven days of surgery, post which she underwent regular follow-ups and observation.
Dr Manoj Kumar Singh, senior consultant, Liver Transplant and HPB surgery, as well as, Dr Varun Shetty, consultant, Cardiothoracic Surgeries helped perform the surgery.