Minimally invasive surgery on intestinal tumor a success
A patient with a rare pre-cancer tumor invading both the large and small intestines had the growth removed through a minimally invasive procedure, officials from Renji Hospital said on Wednesday.
The patient went to the hospital after being diagnosed with polyps at another hospital. He wanted to remove the polyps at Renji through endoscopy.
Dr Li Xiaobo from the hospital’s endoscope center found a laterally spreading tumor at the patient's ileocecal junction, a valve connecting the large and small intestines. Surgical removal of the valve can disrupt digestion and cause other problems in the intestinal system.
Dr Li and his team found the tumor and successfully removed it under endoscope instead of open-cut surgery. Doctors also managed to keep the patient's ileocecal junction intact.
In the end, a 10-centimeter section of intestines was removed to prevent cancerous development.
Dr Li Xiaobo (center) is removing the tumor through endoscope from the patient.
