The Department of ENT and Head & Neck Surgery at Shri Mahant Indresh Hospital, Dehradun, recently achieved a significant milestone. A 55-year-old female patient underwent a successful thyroidectomy surgery and a large tumour mass weighing approximately 1 kilogram was removed.
Total thyroidectomy is a surgical procedure that involves the complete removal of the thyroid gland, typically performed to treat thyroid cancer, uncontrollable hyperthyroidism, or a goitre causing severe symptoms.
The patient, Shanti Devi, a 55-year-old resident of Rampur, Uttarakhand, first visited the hospital's ENT department OPD in July of this year. She had been suffering from a massive neck swelling for the past 30 years, which had gradually increased in size, compressing both her food and wind pipes.
This disease is called Multi Nodular Goitre in medical language. Despite seeking treatment at various hospitals and medical colleges, she was repeatedly denied surgery due to the complexity of her condition. She also tried Ayurvedic treatments without success.
The surgery presented a significant challenge due to the tumor's enormous size, extending into the chest region and attaching to vital structures. The surgical team lead by Professor and Head of the Department of ENT, Dr. Tripti M. Mamgain, including Dr. Sharad Hernot, Dr. Rishabh Dogra, Dr. Fatma Anjum, and Dr. Mohita Jindal, along with anaesthesiologists Dr. Parag, Dr. Swati, and Dr. Ayushi , completed the procedure in five hours. The surgery had to be performed with precision and speed due to the risk of cardiac complications, as the patient had multiple co morbidities.
Dr.Tripti M. Mamgain's expertise was crucial to the surgery's success. She told usually thyroid swelling of such big size going inside chest requires opening of the chest bone for complete removal of the tumor. However, she utilized a modified incision technique allowing the gland to be removed without needing to split open the chest and with preservation of vital structures, recurrent laryngeal nerve and parathyroid glands. The tumor, weighing around 1 kilogram, could have been fatal if left untreated.
Despite the surgery's complexity, the patient has recovered well and discharged from hospital. She is grateful for what she describes as a second chance at life.