Mumbai, October 16: A 24-year-old patient with a rare spinal tumour spanning 10 vertebral levels underwent surgery at Kokilaben Ambani Hospital in Mumbai's Andheri. The tumour was removed in one piece by the surgeons after meticulous preparations that spanned several days. The tumour measured 2000cm³ and was 30 times the size of an egg.

As per the Times of India report, Tafita Fanambinantsoa Andriatsarafara, a citizen of Madagascar in East Africa, had been experiencing pain since 2017 and had progressively become immobile. After the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Madagascar government sent him to Mumbai for surgery. Dr Manit Gundavda, the orthopaedic oncosurgeon who led the surgery, described the tumour as an incredibly rare and gigantic grade 2 myxopapillary ependymoma. A myxopapillary ependymoma is a type of spinal tumour that is typically anchored at the base of the spinal cord. The tumour is located in an area that controls the production and flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which can severely affect brain metabolism. Pune Shocker: Doctors at YCM Hospital Remove Massive 6.5 Kg 'Watermelon' Size Cancerous Tumour From 90-Year-Old Chakan Resident's Abdomen.

"The symptoms include localised pain, numbness, and even paralysis, depending on the tumour's size and location. As Tafita's tumour kept growing and, due to financial issues as well as the travel restrictions during the Covid pandemic, he was paralysed and needed help to move about. It's good to be pain-free after all this while," Tafita told TOI. As per the report, Tafita has to undergo rigorous physical rehabilitation for six to 12 months. Gurugram Medical Marvel: Doctors Remove Rare 1.9 kg Tumour from 17-Year-Old's Chest Cavity.

Tafita first felt the pain in 2017 when he was in his first year of university studying finance. He underwent a biopsy in 2017 but didn’t follow up due to financial constraints. As he was soon unable to move, he completed his studies online and managed to get a remote job in a trading company. When his brother learnt about the government schemes to finance complicated surgery/treatment, he looked for options and reached out to doctors in the Andheri hospital. Tafita is now back home and focused on rehabilitation after undergoing a five-day surgery at Kokilaben Ambani Hospital.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 16, 2023 05:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).