* The patient recovered smoothly, spent one day in intensive care as a precaution, and was discharged after six days with no complications
* Doctors said the case highlights the hospital’s ability to handle highly complex cancer surgeries in Saudi Arabia, showing that world-class treatment is now available closer to home
PRAVASISAMWAD.COM
King’s College Hospital London – Jeddah has successfully saved the life of a patient suffering from a rare and complex gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST), following one of the most challenging gastrointestinal cancer surgeries performed at the hospital.
GISTs are uncommon tumours that develop in the digestive tract, and gastric tumours measuring more than 20 centimetres are considered extremely rare worldwide. In this case, the patient arrived at the hospital with severe long-term pain and internal stomach bleeding caused by the return of a tumour first treated nearly 15 years ago. The tumour had grown to around 20 centimetres and had spread close to vital organs, including the diaphragm and pancreas, while sitting dangerously near the junction of the stomach and oesophagus.
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Medical tests confirmed that the tumour was resistant to drug treatment
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Standard therapy with Imatinib showed no effect, even at higher doses, and the patient could not tolerate alternative medications due to serious side effects. Surgery was therefore the only possible option to save his life
Given the patient’s advanced age, heart condition, anaemia and previous surgery, the case was carefully reviewed by the hospital’s multidisciplinary team. Specialists from oncology, gastrointestinal and thoracic surgery, radiology, anaesthesia, intensive care, pathology, nutrition and other departments worked together to plan every detail.
To reduce the risk of heavy bleeding during surgery, doctors first carried out a procedure to block blood flow to the spleen. The operation itself lasted just under three hours and was completed exactly as planned. The tumour was removed in one piece without damaging its delicate outer layer, which was vital to reduce the risk of recurrence.
