AUBMC's team implements advanced surgical techniques

The American University of Beirut Medical Centre (AUBMC) performed a full En bloc resection for a patient who was suffering from a lung tumour that was invading many of the vital structures in the chest cavity, including the aorta, the esophagus and three vertebral bodies of the spine.

Before being transferred to AUBMC, the patient was evaluated at multiple medical centres, and her case was considered to be inoperable due to the invasiveness of the tumour.

After the case was evaluated and discussed by a multidisciplinary team including the radiation oncologist, the oncologist, the neurosurgeon and the cardiothoracic team at AUBMC, it was decided that the best hope for long-term survival would be the administration of neoadjuvant therapy to shrink the tumour followed by En bloc resection. The procedure, which lasted five hours, was performed by the Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Jamil Borgi, and the Neurosurgeon Dr Tarek Sunna'.

The patient's recovery was smooth, and she was successfully discharged home. Dr Tarek Sunna' said, “When dealing with tumours, the term 'inoperable' is something we use less and less with the advancement of the surgical techniques that we perform at AUBMC, hoping one day we will never have to use it at all."  He added, “Once faced with such a tumour, it is very important to evaluate the feasibility of surgical resection and perform the right surgery that will make a difference to the patient's life.”