Delhi doctors remove tumour from teenager's thigh, prevent leg amputation

A 16-year-old girl has been given a new lease of life after doctors removed a large tumor in her left thigh during an eight-hour operation, saving her left leg from having to be amputated.

Class XII student Maya from Najafgarh in south-west Delhi district was presented to doctors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital after she was facing swelling at the back of her left thigh for a long time.

Although small at first, the lesion quickly grew, limiting her movements such as walking, running and jumping. It gradually became painful and began to cause numbness in the limb.

Doctors subjected Maya to imaging and a needle biopsy that revealed a soft tissue tumor that completely encased her left sciatic nerve, which could be life-threatening if left untreated.

The sciatic nerve is a vital nerve that emerges from the lower back (lumbar and sacral spine) and passes through the gluteus maximus muscle (hips) on both sides, then descends down the back of the thigh and leg to supply the muscles of the lower limbs.

“This particular nerve is critical for the functionality of the lower limbs. Since the sciatic nerve was passing through the mass that completely surrounded it, the probability of saving this crucial nerve during the operation was low to negligible,” said Chintamani, chairman of the hospital's department of surgical oncology.

However, the tumor had to be completely removed to prevent a recurrence. Preserving the limb was therefore a challenge for doctors, who also advised Maya extensively on limb-sparing surgery as well as amputation.

Chintamani and the team were able to resect the entire tumor measuring 17 x 15 cm and weighing approximately 2 kg, while saving the sciatic nerve.

“Since the tumor also involved a large portion of the muscles of the posterior compartment of the thigh (hamstrings), we also had to remove that to ensure en bloc removal and the muscles of the other compartments were mobilized to cover the exposed bone (femur) and the neurovascular bundle,” the doctor said.

Although after the operation she suffered some temporary weakness in the muscles of her lower limbs, this improved with physiotherapy and time.

“Maya is now doing well and is coming to the hospital for her check-ups and physiotherapy without any significant neurological deficits,” Chintamani said.