An 18-year-old Bangladeshi girl, suffering from a potentially fatal tumour in her pancreas, has received life-saving surgery at Techno India DAMA Hospital in Kolkata after an arduous eight-month wait for a medical visa.
The young woman, identified as Mehroon Ali (name changed), faced repeated cancellations of her medical visa application due to ongoing Indo-Bangla border tensions that have persisted since August 2024. This unfortunate situation compelled her to seek medical treatment in other countries. However, hospitals in several Southeast Asian nations reportedly declined to perform the necessary surgery without the removal of some of her organs.
Determined to find a medical facility that could save her organs, Mehroon and her family focused on Kolkata, ultimately seeking the expertise available at Techno India DAMA Hospital. This decision to wait and travel to Techno India DAMA Hospital proved to be crucial for the successful outcome.
Upon thorough diagnosis, the medical team identified Mehroon’s condition as “Solid Pseudo-papillary Epithelial Neoplasia” (SPEN), a rare tumour that had engulfed almost her entire pancreas. Despite initial setbacks with her Indian Medical Visa, which also led her to explore less favourable treatment options elsewhere, Mehroon’s hope rested on receiving care at Techno India DAMA Hospital.
After finally securing her medical permit following an eight-month delay, Mehroon was admitted on April 22nd. The critical surgery was successfully performed on April 26th by a team led by Dr. Suddhasattwa Sen, a senior consultant specializing in GI-HPB Colo-rectal and Cancer Surgery at Techno India DAMA Hospital. The significant delay in her arrival had unfortunately allowed the tumour to grow considerably, reaching 15-16 cm and increasing the complexity of the procedure.
Dr. Sen explained that SPEN is a very uncommon disease. He highlighted the exceptional nature of Mehroon’s case, where the unusually large tumour had spread across her head, neck, and body. The skilled surgical team successfully removed the tumour while preserving her spleen and other organs, with minimal blood loss. Mehroon did not even require post-operative care in the ICU and is currently under observation at the hospital, showing positive signs of recovery. This successful surgery at Techno India DAMA Hospital offers a beacon of hope after a challenging journey for the young patient and her family.