Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The doctors of gastro surgery department at Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre (BMHRC) have successfully removed an abnormally large spleen.
Enlarged spleen was detected in a 22-year-old man suffering from thalaessemia major. The spleen is part of lymphatic system, which fights infection and keeps body fluids in balance. It contains white blood cells that fight germs. The patient was treated free-of-cost under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan-Arogya Yojana.
Dr Pramod Verma, acting HOD and assistant professor, gastro surgery department, said, “Patient was suffering from thalaessemia major since childhood. Though, he was 25- year-old, he weighed only 35 kg. Earlier, he had to undergo blood transfusion once in a month, but since the last few months, due to an enlarged spleen, he needed it every week. The patient was also complaining about pain in abdomen.
He further said, “CT scan was performed and it was found that the spleen has been grown much larger than its size. Normally, thalaessemia patients have a large spleen, but we were surprised to find that it had grown almost double to its normal size. In this case, surgery was the only option but there was risk. There was a fear of excessive bleeding during surgery.”
Dr Sarika Katiyar, professor, department of anesthesiology said, “The hemoglobin level of thalaessemia patients is much lower than normal. The biggest challenge for patients with this disease is to maintain their hemoglobin level during surgery. If the hemoglobin level goes down, it can be fatal for the patient.”
