Oncologists of the St. Panteleimon Hospital of the First Medical Association of Lviv performed a unique combined intervention to save the life of a man with a rare cancer.
Dmytro from Kropyvnytskyi is only 26 years old, he led a healthy lifestyle and played sports. But once the man noticed that he had lost 10 kg.
At the same time, the right side of his abdomen increased asymmetrically.
After conducting an examination, the doctors shocked the patient with the diagnosis: pheochromocytoma of the right adrenal gland – a tumor of cells of the medulla of the adrenal glands, which leads to excessive secretion of the hormones adrenaline and norepinephrine. This is a rare and little-studied disease of the endocrine system, occurring from 2 to 8 times per 100,000 people.
The tumor, with a diameter of 20 cm, was in the central parts of the retroperitoneal space of the abdomen. And what’s worse, because of its gigantic size, it has already spread to the duodenum and the head of the pancreas, circularly covered the abdominal aorta, as well as the inferior cava and right renal veins.
After a multidisciplinary consultation, the specialists decided to operate on a radical scale. In addition, the doctors discussed the postoperative period with the patient in advance: due to the complete and forced removal of the pancreas, he will develop diabetes.
Oncological surgeons performed a combined removal of the tumor with duodenopancreatectomy (removal of the pancreas with the duodenum), resection (removal of part) of the aorta and inferior vena cava, resection and reimplantation of the right renal vein. Prosthetics, i.e. restoration of blood flow in the aorta and inferior vena cava, were performed by specialists using synthetic vascular prostheses.
After a ten-hour operation, Dmitry was transferred to the intensive care unit, where he stayed for a day. And already in 10 days – he went home.
Soon, the boy predictably developed type III diabetes. But as Dmytro himself says, he feels very well. Therefore, he continued to play sports and even work physically at seasonal jobs abroad. According to the results of the latest control examinations, the doctors have no comments on his condition.
Of course, Dmytro still comes for routine check-ups. But above all, he is grateful to the doctors who gave him a chance to live and lead his usual lifestyle – with hiking and hiking in the mountains. During the last hike, by the way, he walked 30 km.