Srinagar: The Onco-surgical unit of JLNM Hospital Srinagar, an apex health institute of Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir (DHSK) has performed 176 cancer surgeries till date which includes 132 major and 44 minor surgeries.
As non-communicable diseases in general and malignancy in particular are increasing with each passing day, putting immense load on the existing health care infrastructure, quality care by specialists in these branches has always been limited in reach, a statement issued by DHSK said on Thursday afternoon.
The statement said that in this context, DHSK had established an Onco-Surgical Unit headed by Dr Zahoor Ahmed (Onco-surgeon) at JLNM Hospital in October 2014 to initiate performing cancer surgeries at Peripheral hospitals.
“The unit has successfully performed various complex cancer surgeries till date which include twenty four cases of staging laparotomy for carcinoma ovary, fourteen thyroidectomies for thyroid cancer with neck dissection in appropriate patients, three radical cholecystectomies for carcinoma gall bladder, six cases of colon cancer, thirteen cases of carcinoma breast, seven cases of rectum and recto-sigmoid cancers,” the DHSK statement said.
“In addition twelve radical D2 gastrectomies, eight radical hysterectomies, three testicular tumours, six pan hysterectomies for hyperplasia, six cases of sarcoma, five giant soft tissue lesions, three groin dissections, parotidectomies, ileostomy/gastrojejunostomies, numerous diagnostic laparoscopies along with thirty six minor procedures like lymph node and breast biopsies were also performed,” it added.
Recently two complex surgeries were performed successfully which required two specialist surgeons from different branches working in tandem.
In first case a young lady with giant phylloides tumour of breast was operated and subcutaneous mastectomy with immediate LD flap reconstruction was performed by a team of surgeons headed by Dr Zahoor Ahmed, Oncosurgeon, and Dr Zulqarnain Masoodi, Plastic surgeon, with excellent cosmetic result.
In the other case, a 45 year old male with matted metastatic nodes in axilla infiltrating the axillary vein was operated and after complete axillary clearance, segment of axillary vein was excised along with tumour and reconstruction was done with venous graft, by a team of surgeons headed by Dr Zahoor Ahmed, Onco-surgeon, and Dr Nasir Wani, CVTS surgeon.
Director Health Services, Kashmir Dr Saleem ur Rehman has complimented the Hospital Administration and the Operative Team for achieving this feat and has assured in upgrading the Onco-Surgical unit at JLNM Hospital for better patient care.