Pediatric surgeons remove tumor occupying 80% of child’s chest
A three-year-old girl was given a new chance at life after doctors at the "Natalia Gheorghiu" National Scientific and Practical Center for Pediatric Surgery, part of the Institute of Mother and Child, performed a highly complex emergency surgical procedure.
The child was brought to the hospital with symptoms that appeared suddenly a week ago: a persistent dry cough, severe fatigue, and difficulty breathing. Imaging investigations conducted by the radiology and nuclear medicine service revealed a critical situation.
A large tumor compressing the right lung
Doctors identified a tumor measuring approximately 12 x 9 x 10 centimeters, located in the right hemithorax. The tumor occupied about 80% of the pleural cavity, almost completely compressing the right lung and exerting severe pressure on the mediastinal structures, where the heart and large blood vessels are located.
Tomography suggested that the tumor had a multicomponent nature, possibly indicating a teratoma. Additionally, it was associated with a rare vascular anomaly: an aberrant right subclavian artery, which increased the complexity of the surgical intervention.
Emergency intervention with maximum precision
Due to severe compression on the vital thoracic organs, the doctors decided to perform emergency surgery on February 10.
The surgeons successfully removed the tumor along with a portion of the thymus. The dissection was carried out with extreme precision to carefully separate the tumor from the vital structures, avoiding any complications.
The operation was conducted by a multidisciplinary team led by the head of the center, Surgeon Stanislav Babuci. The team also included Surgeons Igor Ambros and Ana Fedoruc, as well as Anesthesiologist Dumitru Frunze.
The postoperative recovery was smooth. The girl was extubated on the first day after the surgery, and the chest X-ray taken on the second day confirmed that the right lung had completely reexpanded.
