Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 19: Doctors at BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital, New Delhi, have successfully performed a highly complex, organ-preserving robotic surgery on a 73-year-old patient from Srinagar who was diagnosed with two primary cancers occurring simultaneously in different parts of his colon — a rare and challenging medical condition.
The patient, Basheer Ahmad, had a history of prostate cancer for which he had earlier undergone surgery and radiotherapy in Srinagar. For nearly two months, he had been suffering from alarming symptoms such as irregular bowel movements and bleeding during stool passage. His anxiety increased after doctors at another hospital advised a total proctocolectomy — a procedure involving complete removal of the colon and lifelong dependence on a stoma bag, significantly impacting quality of life.
Seeking an advanced, organ-preserving solution, the patient and his family approached BLK-Max Hospital. Detailed diagnostic evaluations at the hospital revealed synchronous colonic malignancies, meaning two separate primary cancers developing at the same time in different segments of the colon. Further investigations confirmed cancer in two locations, along with two additional growths, one of which was in a pre-cancerous stage.
The complex surgery was led by Dr Manish Jain, Director & Unit Head – Gastrointestinal Oncosurgery at BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital. Explaining the case, Dr Jain said that radiological assessments confirmed the cancers were independent primary tumors and not a recurrence. The right colon cancer was staged as Stage 3, while the sigmoid colon cancer was classified as Stage 2.
Considering the patient’s age, previous cancer treatment, and the complexity of dual malignancies, the surgical team opted for a minimally invasive, robotic-assisted approach. In a single-stage operation lasting eight hours, doctors performed two major procedures — a robotic right hemicolectomy and an anterior resection — successfully removing both cancerous segments while preserving the remaining colon.
The patient’s recovery was remarkably smooth. He resumed liquid intake by the second day, experienced early return of bowel function, and was discharged on the seventh day on a soft diet with normalizing bowel movements. The patient has now been advised chemotherapy to reduce the risk of recurrence.
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