Madurai hospital doctors remove tumour weighing 150 gram from girl’s heart

MADURAI: Doctors in Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) in Madurai have removed a tumour weighing 150 gram from the heart of an 11-year-old girl.

The girl, Seethalakshmi G from Tirunelveli district, had been complaining of palpitations and chest pain. She was admitted to GRH. An echo cardiogram and a CT scan revealed that there was a benign tumour in the right ventricular chamber of her heart.

Doctors performed an open-heart surgery on her on January 13 and removed the tumour sized 9cm x 6cm x 4cm and weighing 150 gram.

“It is a rare surgical procedure. We believe the size of the tumour is one of the largest recorded in India,” said a doctor from cardio vascular thoracic surgery department in GRH.

The Glenn shunt procedure was done after the surgery to rejoin the heart valves in the right ventricle. There were no complications during post-operative care. Seethalakshmi has made complete recovery and is able to lead a normal life, according to doctors.

The treatment, which could cost up to Rs 5 lakh, was done free of cost under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme.