The India Book of Records has recognized a team of doctors from Apollo Hospitals in Ahmedabad, led by chief surgical gastroenterologist Dr. Chirag Desai, for surgically removing the heaviest tumor in India.

Notably, the team gave a 56-year-old woman a new lease on life by surgically removing a 47-kilogram tumor—the largest non-ovarian tumor successfully removed in India to date. The woman, a Devgadh Baria resident and government employee, had been carrying the tumor for 18 years.

The team comprised of onco-surgeon Dr. Nitin Singhal, anesthetist Dr. Ankit Chauhan, general surgeon Dr. Swati Upadhyay and critical care specialist Dr. Jay Kothari.

Apart from the tumor, the team of eight doctors, including four surgeons, also removed abdominal wall tissues and excess skin weighing around 7 kg during the surgery on January 27. Following the surgery, the bodyweight of the woman dropped to 49 kg. As she could not stand straight, her body weight before the surgery could not be measured.

The feat has been registered under the ‘Strange but True’ category of the India Book of Records.

Dr. Chirag Desai said that it was a high-risk surgery as the woman’s internal organs such as liver, heart, lungs, kidneys, and uterus were displaced because of the pressure created by the tumor in the abdomen. Getting a CT scan done was also difficult as the size of the tumor obstructed the gantry of the CT scan machine.

For more details log onto: www.apollohospitals.com