48-year-old Dipanjan Bhattacharjee, a well-known attorney from Kolkata, kept a hectic schedule while managing delicate, complicated, and high-stakes cases, from courtroom advocacy to providing strategic legal advice. This went on for many years until one day his hectic schedule changed its rhythm.

The first symptom Dipanjan experienced was a hearing impairment in his right ear, which he discovered around 2018. He was recommended to use a high-end hearing aid after undergoing audiometry and ENT consultations in Kolkata. Neurological tests or MRIs were not recommended at the time to determine the root cause. Dipanjan continued to live a normal life after receiving assurances from medical consultations and seeing no more warning signs.

Dipanjan was a regular at the gym, pushing his endurance limits and lifting incredibly heavy weights. He was disciplined and physically active. He eventually developed throbbing headaches when bending forward and experienced two near-blackout episodes during strenuous exercise. These sporadic symptoms were first written off as exhaustion, sleep deprivation, or burnout due to his long, demanding work hours and little downtime.

But in 2023, during a casual social encounter, a doctor recommended that Dipanjan have a neurological screening as a precaution. This was an unexpected turn of events. He followed this advice and had an MRI, which showed that he had a brain tumor. Other tests, such as a CT scan, were not particularly noteworthy. Dipanjan and his family were shocked by the diagnosis because of his active lifestyle.

In July 2023, Dipanjan had emergency surgery at a Mumbai hospital after consulting multiple neurosurgeons. Doctors found that the tumor was extremely calcified during the procedure, making total removal risky. Consequently, only 15–20% of the tumor could be removed. Dipanjan made consistent progress after surgery, progressively regaining his strength and functionality. He had essentially returned to a nearly normal life by August 2025, carrying on with the majority of daily activities without any notable restrictions.

Acute dizziness, mild blurred vision, and nausea were among the new and concerning symptoms that appeared over the course of the following six to eight weeks. Additionally, his hearing had gotten so bad that he could no longer hear in his right ear. These symptoms seemed to follow a pattern rather than happen at random, and they seemed to get much worse following Dipanjan’s sound healing sessions. After being admitted to the hospital and undergoing several tests, it was discovered that his cerebral oedema had grown. Dipanjan’s condition steadily improved after starting a month-long course of steroid medication. Still, there was a persistent buzzing feeling. When he was assessed locally in Kolkata, the physician recommended a thorough examination of his eyes and an evaluation of his optic nerve. Although no recent MRI had been performed, these reports raised concerns.

At last, Dipanjan started experiencing severe facial nerve weakness on his right side and a discernible slowing of his signature, which indicated a weakening of his right upper limb’s motor abilities. Avanti contacted a friend, who directed them to Dr. Sampath Chandra, Head & Neck Surgeon, ENT Consultant, and Program Lead for Skull Base Surgery at Manipal Hospital, Old Airport Road. With optimism in their hearts, Dipanjan and his spouse traveled to Bangalore to see Dr. Sampath, who gave them a great deal of comfort and boldly advised them to proceed with a second surgery. Avanti and her husband readily agreed, despite their initial reluctance.

Dipanjan was wheeled into the operating room early on December 9th for a rigorous 36-hour procedure meant to remove the tumor, restore function to the affected area of his face, and implant a device to help him regain the hearing he had lost following his initial surgery.

A multidisciplinary team—including Dr.Sathwik R Shetty, Consultant – Neurosurgery; Dr. Srikanth V, Consultant – Plastic Reconstructive & Cosmetic Surgery; Dr.Mayur Shetty, Consultant – Plastic Surgery; Dr. HS Murthy, HOD & Consultant – Anaesthesiology; Dr.Jalaja KR, Consultant – Anaesthesiology; and Dr. NivedithaDamodharan, Consultant ENT Surgeon—led by Dr. Sampath collaborated to remove parts of his skull and brain, a risky procedure that could cause facial distortion. Given Dipanjan’s line of work, speech and appearance were very important to him.

Dipanjan’s journey serves as a reminder to patients that compassionate medical care, teamwork, and hope can overcome even the most difficult obstacles, as he gradually returns to his routine today. Few centers worldwide have accomplished the amazing feat of removing a 6-centimeter-long tumor while simultaneously restoring facial function and full hearing in a single surgical procedure. Therefore, this 36-hour procedure is evidence of Manipal Hospital’s integrated, multidisciplinary approach, in which surgeons, anesthesiologists, reconstructive specialists, and nursing teams collaborate seamlessly to provide patients with the best care and results.

Priyanka Dutta