Surgical precision triumphs in removal of exceptionally rare abdominal tumour

A multidisciplinary team at NMC Royal Hospital has successfully extracted a 4.4-kilogram cancerous mass in a six-hour operation that required extraordinary surgical coordination and planning.

The human body’s capacity to endure and recover continues to reveal itself in the quietest of operating theatres. At NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City, a surgical team recently navigated one of medicine’s more delicate challenges: the removal of an exceptionally rare cancerous tumour so large and so complexly positioned that it had reshaped the internal architecture of a patient’s abdomen.

The growth, measuring 36 by 17 centimetres and weighing 4.4 kilograms, originated from the patient’s 12th rib before extending into the abdominal cavity in a manner so unusual that comparable cases number only a handful across three decades of global medical literature. This form of cancer presents itself in approximately one person per two million annually, a rarity that underscores the singular nature of what the surgical team accomplished.

Over the course of six hours, Dr Hassan Elberm, Consultant General and Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgeon, led his multidisciplinary team through methodical, exacting work. The tumour had displaced the liver, stomach, intestines and kidney from their natural positions, occupying most of the right side of the abdomen from the diaphragm to the pelvis. The patient, a 49-year-old man, had initially reported pain on the right side of his abdomen some five months prior to seeking medical intervention.

The operation presented what Dr Elberm described as exceptional challenges. The tumour’s proximity to major blood vessels and vital organs meant that any miscalculation could prove catastrophic. “The greatest challenge was not simply the size of the tumour, but its location and proximity to critical abdominal structures,” he explained. “The mass occupied a substantial part of the abdominal cavity, leaving very limited space for surgical manoeuvring.”

What distinguished this achievement was not merely the removal itself but the precision with which it was accomplished. The surgical team removed the entire tumour with minimal blood loss and without requiring transfusion, an outcome made possible through meticulous preoperative planning and seamless coordination between specialists from different surgical disciplines. The removal of affected surrounding tissues ensured appropriate surgical margins, reducing the risk of cancerous cells remaining and offering the patient the strongest possible chance of long-term recovery.

This case reflects the evolving sophistication of surgical practice in the Emirates. As medical institutions continue to refine their capabilities, they demonstrate that even the most complex anatomical challenges can be met with careful preparation, disciplined technique and the collaborative expertise of specialised teams working in concert.

Source: WAM