AIIMS Jodhpur removes 20.8kg giant tumour in rare surgery on obese patient

Jodhpur: Doctors at AIIMS Jodhpur have successfully removed a giant retroperitoneal tumour weighing 20.8 kg from a 59-year-old morbidly obese patient, in a rare and highly complex surgery that lasted more than eight hours. The tumour, measuring 44×37×24 cm, is believed to be among the largest retroperitoneal liposarcomas reported in India and worldwide.

The patient, who weighed 160 kg, was admitted to the Department of General Surgery with complaints of abdominal fullness and persistent pain for nearly a year. After detailed clinical evaluation and imaging studies, doctors diagnosed a giant retroperitoneal tumour suspected to be a liposarcoma, a rare cancer arising from fatty tissues in the abdomen.

The surgery, performed on May 29 by a multidisciplinary team, lasted approximately eight hours and 30 minutes. During the operation, surgeons found the tumour extensively adherent to the patient’s right kidney and surrounding structures. To ensure complete removal of the visible tumour tissue, the team removed the kidney along with the tumour.

“The patient's extreme obesity, the enormous size of the tumour and its close relationship with vital structures made the surgery exceptionally challenging. Despite these complexities, the multidisciplinary team successfully completed the procedure,” said Dr Satya Prakash Meena, who led the surgical team. He said the patient is stable, recovering well and has already started mobilising after surgery.

Based on a review of published medical literature through the PubMed database, the team said the tumour appears to be the largest and heaviest retroperitoneal liposarcoma removed and reported from Rajasthan. It is also considered the third largest reported in India by dimensions and among the heaviest documented nationally. In global medical literature, the case is estimated to rank among the 15 largest retroperitoneal liposarcomas reported worldwide.

Doctors said retroperitoneal tumours often grow silently and may not cause symptoms until they become very large. They warned that morbid obesity can mask such tumours, as progressive abdominal enlargement is frequently mistaken for weight gain, delaying diagnosis and treatment.