BHUBANESWAR: Doctors at Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) here have successfully cleared a blocked airway by removing a tumour in a 40-year-old woman using a sophisticated combination of heat and cold techniques, as part of an advanced bronchoscopic approach.
The patient, who had earlier been diagnosed with a rare type of lung tumour (carcinoid tumour) in the right main bronchus, had undergone radiation therapy in 2023. However, a follow-up scan last month revealed a persistent mass obstructing over half of her airway, leading to severe breathlessness and an unrelenting cough.
Faced with this challenge, the Interventional Pulmonology team opted for a minimally invasive, yet high-precision approach to remove the tumour. They inserted a flexible bronchoscope and performed a three-step tumour clearance procedure.
Associate professor of pulmonary medicine at KIMS Dr Debasis Behera said this was followed by ‘electrocautery’ (heat) to slice through and shrink the tumour using controlled heat and ‘cryo-extraction’ (cold) to freeze and gently remove the tumour fragments.
The innovative combination resulted in the complete removal of the obstruction and immediate relief in the patient’s breathing. Biopsy samples were also taken during the procedure for further evaluation.
Dr Behera was assisted by Dr Swadip Mishra and Dr Sushanta Mishra from the Interventional Pulmonology department apart from the cardiac anaesthesia team of Dr Ashok K Badamali and Dr Gyana Ranjan Mishra.