Ulcer revealed cancerous growth on half the tongue which extended to the lymph nodes of the neck
Bengaluru-based Trustwell Hospital recently operated upon a person who developed a tongue ulcer. The person, an auto driver in the profession, developed the ulcer two months back and tried local remedies to recover from the disease. He never consumed tobacco and hence did not suspect anything serious out of the ulcer.
Dr Satish C, Consultant Surgical Oncologist, Trustwell Hospital suggested a CT scan and biopsy of the ulcer which revealed cancerous growth on half the tongue which extended to the lymph nodes of the neck. To stop the spread of cancer, radical surgery was performed that involved removal of 3/4th of the right tongue and lymph nodes from both sides of the neck.
After the removal of the cancerous growth, reconstructive surgery was done. Dr Satish C stated, “Generally, a part of the flesh along with skin from patient’s outer body part is reframed into tongue and sewn together in such cases. But, we came up with a very unique solution for this case.
The tongue is the strongest muscle in the human body. It primarily facilitates eating and speaking. The moisture on the tongue is very much needed for us to speak clearly. General reconstruction with skin as the outer flap is very uncomfortable for patients. Because of hair follicles in them, there is always hair growth on the outer layer of the new tongue. Also, the skin is extremely dry compared to the regular tongue which makes the patients feel thirsty always. To avoid these inconveniences, we harvested apart from the patient’s stomach and made it into the brand-new tongue. The stomach flap was reversed to make the outer layer of the tongue.”
Dr HV Madhusudan, CMD, Trustwell Hospital said, “The new tissue was then attached to the already present 25 per cent of the remaining tongue. The complex surgery that lasted for over eight to 10 hours is fruitful now. The anaesthetic team and post-surgery ICU care helped the patient greatly to recover well. The newly attached flap looks almost identical to his original tongue and stays moist. The patient can have normal food and speaks well. This is a first-of-its-kind surgery in Karnataka and Dr Satish C and the team at Trustwell Hospital has successfully given hope to several such patients.”
Dr Deepak Haldipur, Director, Trustwell Hospital and Dr NS Chandrashekar were present on the occasion.
