Cuttack: For the first time ever, surgeons at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Odisha’s Cuttack removed a tumour from the trachea of a 21-year-old youth from the Deogarh district using ECMO support.
The rare and complex surgery was performed at the Cardiovascular Surgery department of the state’s premier healthcare institute.
According to the hospital’s Cardiovascular Surgery department head Prof Dr Manoj Patnaik, the tumour was found in the windpipe and so it was not possible to administer anesthesia. Hence, the surgeons decided to use ECMO support to remove the tumour. The condition of the patient, who has been shifted to the ICU ward, is stable.
“More such surgeries will be performed in the coming days,” said Dr Patnaik.
“The ECMO machine has multiple uses like treating drowning cases, pneumonia, snake bites and cardiac arrest patients among others. The machine can also be used for patients waiting for heart and lung transplantation, Dr Patnaik added.
Currently, the SCB Medical College and Hospital has nine ECMO machines and all are fully operational.
