-APS Noorpuri
Mohali: Dr Karam Singh (75) a former Professor and Head of Surgery at Government Medical College, Patiala got a new lease of life after a highly complex and challenging surgical procedure to treat his pancreatic cancer at Shalby Super Speciality Hospital, Mohali recently.
Talking to the media during a press conference here on Tuesday, Dr Singh said that he noticed that something wrong was going in his body and he immediately rushed to seek medical help.
Dr. GR Verma the former professor & HOD, PGI Chandigarh and presently director of surgical gastroenterology & GI onco-surgery at Shalby who led the surgery said that Dr Singh wa admitted at Shalby with symptoms of deep jaundice, severe itching, and significant weight loss. Diagnostic evaluations confirmed a carcinoma in the head of the pancreas.
A decision was taken to proceed with a Pancreatoduodenectomy which is a highly complex and challenging surgical procedure, said Dr. Pankaj Bhalla senior consultant GI surgery who assisted in the surgery.
The surgery lasted for 8 hours and was successfully completed without complications and the patient was discharged in good condition, informed Dr. Navneet Kumar the senior anesthetist.
Dr. Verma said,” India records approximately 14.5 lakh new cancer cases annually, with gastrointestinal cancers contributing to nearly 18–20% of the total. Among these, pancreatic tumors are among the least common, typically affecting individuals over the age of 60–65 and more commonly males. Factors such as hereditary predisposition, chronic pancreatitis, newly onset diabetes, smoking, and most importantly genetic mutations over time contribute to the development of pancreatic cancer.”
Talking about symptoms of pancreatic tumors, Dr. Verma said that these are usually vague and non-specific, including loss of appetite, weight loss, new-onset diabetes, jaundice, itching, and abdominal pain often appearing only in advanced stages.
This successful surgical procedure is a testament to the advanced medical facilities at Shalby Super Speciality Hospital, Mohali, and highlights the importance of meticulous surgical technique, strong inter-departmental coordination, state-of-the-art ICU and post-operative care.
