Mohan Kuthar

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (EP)

Mangaluru, Oct 23: Deralakatte Yenepoya hospital doctors in a rare surgery saved a hand of a young man affected by bone cancer.

Speaking in a news conference held in Yenepoya hospital on Monday, head of the department of Oncology, Dr Jalaluddin Akbar K C said that the illness of cancer comes usually after the age of 60. “However the Astrogenic bone cancer is seen on the legs of youth between 20 and 30 years of age. The cancer was seen in the middle of the right arm of a thirty year old youth from Ullal. It was a rare case. Amputating the hand or saving the hand by joining artificial metal bone were the only options. We gave new life to the youth with the help of a metal bone.

“The concerned part used to be amputated in case of bone cancers in the past. One had to go to Mumbai or Chennai for the surgeries spending Rs 10 to 15 lac. Now the surgery done at Yenepoya hospital is of international standard. The surgery conducted after sufficient research has shown that the facility is available with us also in Mangaluru.”

Medical superintendant, Dr Padmanabha Sampathila said, "The process takes six months from the beginning till the end. Chemotherapy, surgery and injections have to be administered for four months. The surgery is conducted with us at a cost of two and a half lac. The surgery of Ullal’s youth is conducted free of cost as it is the first by us. Though treatment is available under union government’s Ayushman scheme, more amount is needed. The surgery will be performed here at reduced cost even when the scheme is not available,” he said.

Medical oncologist, Dr Guruprasad Bhat said, "Bone cancer is found on legs of very tall men and animals, bone cancer on the hand is rare. As there are 20 to 30 muscles on the hand, saving the hand in surgery is extremely difficult. As steel bone is heavy, special bone that costs one and a half lac is used,” he said.

Oncology and Robotics unit assistant professor Dr Rohan Shetty, hospital senior doctor H T Amar Rao, orthopedic department’s Dr Imthiaz Ahmed, Dr Abhishek Shetty, head of the department of hospital administration Dr Sunita Saldanha and marketing division’s Vijayananda Shetty B were present.