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Tumour removed in a delicate neck surgery

On December 10, Melinda Laurena Domingo, 51, underwent a very rare surgery to remove a nerve tumour, medically known as Parapharyngeal tumour (rare neck tumour) at the New Medical Centre (NMC) Speciality Hospital in Abu Dhabi.

Accurate diagnosis and management for this type of tumour are challenging and require a team approach. When the diagnosis is ambiguous, a complete surgical excision is required.

Melinda was complaining of extreme discomfort and difficulty in swallowing and her voice was muffled.

She was diagnosed with a neurogenic tumour (a tumour from the nerve gland). The tumour was deep in the neck in the pharynx space and very close to all the important vessels and nerves that are responsible for the blood supply to the brain which monitors the breathing and eating. The patient had to see many doctors before the final diagnosis at NMC Hospital.

“This was an extremely difficult operation as the tumour was located very deep and was close to all important structures like nerves and great vessels,” said Dr Produl Hazarika, ENT Specialist at NMC Speciality Hospital, who led the team that conducted the surgery.

“The tumour was located very high in the neck near the skull base. If it was not removed, food would have gone down the lungs of the patient and she would have suffered serious breathing problems,” Dr Hazarika told Khaleej Times.

He said the surgery was successful and the patient was transferred to the ward from the ICU and is now doing fine and recovering.

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