KIMS doctors perform rare, life-saving TACE procedure on 2.7 year-old girl

Bhubaneswar, Oct 7 (UNI) For the first time in Odisha, a team of doctors at the Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) successfully performed a highly complex Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) procedure on a 2.7-year-old girl suffering from hepatoblastoma, a rare liver tumour that had already spread to her lungs.

According to KIMS sources, the procedure involved the coordinated efforts of 15 doctors across seven departments, making it one of the most challenging multidisciplinary interventions ever undertaken at the hospital.

The young patient, who has now fully recovered, can be seen playing joyfully with her friends in the hospital corridors, a testament to her courage, resilience, and the dedication of her medical team.

The girl was brought to KIMS after months of worsening abdominal pain, swelling, and loss of appetite, despite multiple consultations across the state. Detailed investigations revealed hepatoblastoma, with metastasis to her lungs.

Under the care of Prof. Dr Palash Das, Pediatric Hemato-Oncologist, she was immediately started on chemotherapy.
Although her condition improved, the liver tumour remained too large for surgery.

At this critical stage, Dr Swati Das, Interventional Radiologist, recommended TACE, a procedure in which chemotherapy is delivered directly into the blood vessel supplying the tumour.

The tumour responded significantly, shrinking enough to allow for surgical removal.

Subsequently, an extended liver resection (non-anatomical liver resection) was performed by Dr Vedavyas Mohapatra (Surgical Gastroenterology) and Dr Varsha M. Totadri (Pediatric Surgery), under the guidance of Dr P.K. Jena (HOD, Pediatric Surgery), with essential support from the anaesthesia team.

Post-operative care was provided by the Pediatric ICU team and Dr Jiten Sahoo, Pediatric Gastroenterologist.

This milestone procedure not only marked the first time such a complex intervention was performed on a child so young in Odisha but also positioned KIMS among a select group of hospitals in India capable of delivering this rare treatment.

Dr Achyuta Samanta, Founder of KIIT and KISS, congratulated the medical team for their path-breaking work and wished the little girl a long and healthy life.