Media Release

Mangaluru, Apr 27: A 35-year-old man, Gouda, suffering from thigh bone cancer, was successfully treated through a highly complex limb-saving surgery at Yenepoya Medical College Hospital. This remarkable procedure involved the removal of the entire thigh bone along with the thigh muscles and reconstruction using chest wall muscles to restore function through a micro neurovascular technique. This is the first such surgery performed in India and only the third case reported in the world.

The patient, a resident of Haveri, presented with a tumour involving the right thigh bone and surrounding thigh muscles. After a thorough evaluation, he underwent four cycles of chemotherapy. Due to the extensive involvement of the thigh muscles by the tumour, the initial recommendation elsewhere was amputation of the entire leg.

However, the team at Yenepoya Medical College Hospital explored alternative limb-saving options. Extensive research was conducted by reviewing national and international medical literature, which revealed only two similar case reports worldwide, both from the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham, UK.

Following the completion of chemotherapy, the patient underwent surgery on March 10 by a multidisciplinary team led by Dr Jalaluddin Akbar, professor and head of the department of surgical oncology, under the guidance of Dr M Vijayakumar, pro chancellor of Yenepoya University and director of Zulekha Yenepoya Institute of Oncology.

During the 13-hour surgery, the entire length of the thigh bone along with the affected thigh muscles was removed. A titanium megaprosthesis was used to reconstruct the bone. Additionally, chest wall muscles, along with their blood vessels and nerves, were transferred using advanced micro neurovascular surgical techniques to reconstruct the thigh muscles and restore limb function.

The patient tolerated the complex surgery well, has made an excellent recovery, and is now able to walk again with minimal support.

This landmark achievement represents a significant milestone in advanced cancer surgery, demonstrating the capability to preserve both life and limb in extremely challenging cases. The successful outcome further establishes Mangaluru as a growing hub for advanced cancer and reconstructive surgeries.

Multidisciplinary team

The surgery was led by Dr Jalaluddin Akbar, professor and head of surgical oncology, Zulekha Yenepoya Institute of Oncology. The multidisciplinary team included surgical oncologists Dr Rohan Shetty, Dr H T Amar Rao, and Dr Noor Mohammed; plastic surgeons Dr Devi Prasad, Dr Chandhini, and Dr Shruti; medical oncologists Dr Tejesh Krishna and Dr Lekshmi Shenoi; orthopedic surgeons Dr Abhishek Shetty and Dr Lokesh; interventional radiologist Dr T V Satheesh Babu; onco-anaesthetist Dr Priti; and occupational therapist Dr Mohammad Chaudhary, along with the dedicated medical and nursing staff of Yenepoya Medical College Hospital.