Agartala, Aug 28: Just days after her birth, a newborn girl from Radhacherra area in Kumarghat Sub-division faced a daunting battle for survival against a rare, fast-growing cancer. A giant tumor, nearly a third of her body weight, had developed on her spine, but a successful, high-risk surgery performed by a dedicated team at Agartala’s Tripura Medical College has given her a new lease on life.
The ordeal for parents Swapna Majumder (22), and Bablu Debnath (38), began shortly after their daughter was born via Caesarean section at G.B. Pant Hospital on August 22. Doctors found a massive growth on the infant’s lower back and immediately referred her to the Tripura Medical College & Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Memorial Teaching Hospital (TMC) for specialized care under superspecialist pediatric and neonatal surgeon Dr. Aniruddha Basak.
Upon admission on August 26, diagnostic tests, including an MRI scan, confirmed the growth was a Grade-2 malignant tumor known as a sacrococcygeal teratoma. Dr. Basak explained the gravity of the rare condition, which affects approximately one in 40,000 live births.
“These are tumors which arise from the lumbo-sacral spine and are characteristically fast-growing and if not operated on in time, they can involve the anal canal, urinary bladder, and spinal cord, and can cause lower limb paralysis,” he stated.
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The medical team was in a race against time. The tumor’s rapid increase in size was a clear sign of its cancerous nature, and delay was not an option. “The baby would have died within one month due to the cancer spreading to other organs like the liver and brain,” Dr. Basak warned, emphasizing that immediate and complete removal was the only way to save her and minimize the chance of recurrence.
Meanwhile, on August 27, just five days after her birth, the infant underwent a grueling two-hour operation. The surgical team, led by Dr. Basak, performed a procedure known as a Sacrococcygeal teratoma excision. The tumor, which weighed nearly one kilogram, was not only attached to the spine but had also intricately spread to the baby’s rectum and urinary tract, making the surgery exceptionally complex.
“The risks involved were excessive bleeding from the median sacral artery and injury to surrounding structures like the rectum and urinary bladder,” Dr. Basak explained.
He further mentioned, “All these can be prevented by slow and meticulous dissection, which is how we managed to avoid any damage.” He was assisted in the operation theatre by Junior Resident Dr. Manidipa Sarkar and Intern Dr. Taniya, who helped ensure the procedure ran smoothly.
Following the successful surgery, the baby is now stable, healthy, and breastfeeding, bringing immense relief to her family. However, her journey is not over. She will require careful monitoring for any potential long-term complications. “Recurrence is the main culprit, so we have to check regularly to avoid it,” Dr. Basak said. The follow-up care will involve bi-monthly check-ups and blood tests to monitor a specific tumor marker.
Despite acknowledging that medical infrastructure in the region is “still in a developing phase,” Dr. Basak stressed the importance of performing such critical surgeries locally. He ended with a powerful message for his peers across the state: “Do not refer any neonatal or pediatric surgical cases outside the state, as the state has got its own dedicated pediatric and neonatal surgeon.”