The medical procedure was carried out in Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: File photo
Ummer Mohammed Reshi, a 39-year-old resident of Kashmir, was born with a single kidney. Although this is unusual, people can often lead a normal life with a single kidney. His life took a distressing turn a month ago when he began experiencing abdominal pain. Suspecting a kidney stone, he underwent an ultrasound that revealed a much more serious issue — a large cancerous tumour in his left kidney that needed immediate attention.
When specialists in Kashmir and Delhi suggested removal of the kidney, which would inevitably require lifelong dialysis or a kidney transplant, Mr. Reshi came down to Bengaluru looking for alternative options.
He reached out to Deepak Dubey, HOD and Consultant – Urology, Robotic Surgery, and Renal Transplantation at Manipal Hospital on Old Airport Road. Dr. Deepak proposed an innovative solution — a complex surgery to remove the tumour and preserve the kidney. Mr. Reshi was admitted to the hospital on May 28 for the surgery.
Dr. Dubey said, “We were confronted with a dual challenge — removal of the tumour and preservation of his only kidney. The usual treatment of kidney cancer involves complete removal of the kidney and, in some cases, if the tumour is small, only the tumour is removed to preserve the kidney. In this case, his tumour was quite large and he had only one kidney. We needed to remove the tumour completely while ensuring that the kidney remained functional. The surgery is also highly challenging because it requires temporarily blocking the blood supply to the kidney, which can jeopardise its functioning if blood supply is blocked for too long.
The case was handled by a multidisciplinary team at the hospital. The procedure involved removing the kidney from the patient’s body, cooling it with ice immediately to preserve its functioning, excising the tumour, repairing the kidney outside his body and then re-transplanting it back into his body.
Vishwanath S., HOD and Consultant – Nephrology, Transplant Physician at the hospital, said a routine surgery would have left the patient in need of dialysis for the rest of his life. “Our urology team, however, helped him avoid dialysis by saving a part of his kidney through innovative surgical techniques. This surgery is almost like a transplant and is called kidney auto-transplantation. The patient will require comprehensive post-surgical care, which will help restore normal kidney functioning,” the doctor said.
There was the inherent risk of damage to the kidney, but the organ began functioning immediately after the procedure. Mr Reshi’s recovery was swift and smooth. He did not require dialysis. He was discharged on June 2.
The biopsy post-surgery results confirmed that the tumour had been completely removed. Mr Reshi, who had feared the worst, found his hope restored and his health intact in no time. He has now resumed to his daily activities and is ready to go back to his home in Kashmir with recommendations on follow-up.
