Advanced Tongue Cancer Patients get a second life post Tongue reconstruction surgery at Fortis Noida

Noida, 8th August 2022: Successful tongue reconstruction surgery was performed for three patients at Fortis Hospital Noida by an expert team of doctors led by Dr. Shubham Garg, Senior Consultant- Surgical Oncology, Dr Jalaj Baxi, Senior Consultant - Surgical Oncology, Dr Naveen Singh, Consultant - Surgical Oncology and Oncoplastic team of Dr Nandini, Senior Consultant - Oncoplastic Surgeon, Dr Sanjay Mishra, Senior Consultant - Oncoplastic Surgeon and Dr Raghavendra, Consultant - Oncoplastic Surgeon.

The first case is of a 46-year-old Deepak Komath, who is the sole bread earner of his family. He came to the hospital with complaints of swelling and painful ulcer on the tongue with slurred speech, difficulty in swallowing and inability to protrude the tongue. He was unable to chew the food well and therefore was malnourished. Doctors at Fortis Noida suggested him to undergo a punch biopsy to confirm if the ulcer on the tongue was cancerous along with an MRI of the tongue. Reports suggested that the patient was suffering from Second Stage Cancer. As more than half of the tongue had been affected by Cancer, the doctors recommended a Tongue Reconstructive Surgery. Deepak underwent surgery and radiation and post 3 months of the treatment he has recovered well. Deepak has now become an inspiration and counsellor for other patients who are reluctant to undergo Tongue Reconstruction Surgeries.

In another similar case, 55-year-old Manoj Jain, a gems dealer by profession, whose business depends on his ability to talk and convince his potential customers, had an ulcer on the right side of his tongue and was very apprehensive about undergoing surgery as he feared losing his speech. He was suffering from co-morbidities such as diabetes and hypertension. When he saw Deepak Komath’s video, where he is seen speaking properly after the surgery, Jain was inspired and got the courage to undergo tongue reconstruction surgery and radiation at Fortis Noida.

Another Case of 36-year-old Mohd Zeeshan, an Indian National working for an oil company in Qatar was struggling with tongue ulcer for more than 6 months. He had undergone treatment in Qatar, but the ulcer could not be cured. On diagnosis, it was confirmed that he was suffering from third stage tongue cancer. The doctors in Qatar had informed him that they would need to remove half of his tongue and that he would lose his ability to speak and open his mouth. He was completely heartbroken. His family in India was looking for treatment options when they shared the diagnosis reports with Fortis Noida. The doctors counselled Zeeshan and his family about the surgery. In fact, they met Manoj Jain to believe the positive outcome of tongue reconstruction surgery. They were convinced post meeting Manoj and immediately decided to undergo the surgery. Today, Zeeshan is undergoing radiation and is very content with the clinical outcomes post the surgery.

Talking about the three cases of tongue reconstruction, Dr Shubham Garg, Senior Consultant, Surgical Oncology said, “When a patient is diagnosed with tongue cancer, one of the biggest challenges is to remove cancer while essentially maintaining and minimally affecting these functions. Most of the attributes of the functionality of the tongue is related to its mobility hence it is essential to recreate the tongue in a manner that its movements are least affected. All the three patients had lost almost half of the tongue but with good reconstruction were able to retain their ability to swallow and maintain adequate speech.”

Elaborating on the technique of tongue reconstruction, Dr Garg, said, “Tongue reconstruction is a very skilled process as the blood vessels are usually very thin and they need to be managed precisely. If the joint becomes very tight, the blood flow will be compromised, and the tissue will die. If the joint is loose, then blood will leak and collect in the neck. The surgery usually lasts 8-12 hours and after this, the patient needs to be in the ICU for the first 2 days and in the ward for a total of 5-7 days.”

Talking about the case, the doctors from Oncoplastic Surgery said, “It is essential that we use pliable tissue which can maintain mobility of the tongue and not occlude the limited space in the oral cavity. One of the best ways to reconstruct is to use skin from the forearm which is harvested and placed in the defect of the tongue. This transplanted skin requires blood supply which is ensured by joining the vessels of the skin to the vessels of the neck. These vessels are very thin and require great magnification and skill to be joined together.”

Mohit Singh, Zonal Director, Fortis Hospital Noida said, “All the three cases have had good clinical outcomes owing to the multi-disciplinary approach and efforts of the combined medical team led by Dr Shubham Garg, Senior Consultant, Surgical Oncology. Oncology and oncoplastic team of Fortis Hospital Noida are well-equipped to handle complicated cases with precision and intricacy backed by the most advanced technology and infrastructure.”

About Fortis Healthcare Limited

Fortis Healthcare Limited – an IHH Healthcare Berhad Company – is a leading integrated healthcare services provider in India. It is one of the largest healthcare organizations in the country with 36 healthcare facilities (including projects under development), 4000 operational beds and over 400 diagnostics centres (including JVs).

Fortis is present in India, United Arab Emirates (UAE) & Sri Lanka. The Company is listed on the BSE Ltd and National Stock Exchange (NSE) of India. It draws strength from its partnership with global major and parent company, IHH, to build upon its culture of world-class patient care and superlative clinical excellence. Fortis employs 23,000 people (including SRL) who share its vision of becoming the world’s most trusted healthcare network. Fortis offers a full spectrum of integrated healthcare services ranging from clinics to quaternary care facilities and a wide range of ancillary services.”