After Shreya Jawale was diagnosed with an aggressive malignant lump that had spread from her kidney to her heart, paediatric and cardiac surgeons at KEM performed a life-saving surgery
After Shreya Jawale was diagnosed with an aggressive malignant lump that had spread from her kidney to her heart, paediatric and cardiac surgeons at KEM performed a life-saving surgery
When four-year-old Shreya's little belly started distending noticeably, her parents rushed her to medical treatment, where she was diagnosed with a malignant kidney tumour, about 14 cm long. Their distress intensified when the Jawale couple from Osmanabad was told that the cancerous tumour had spread to the right atrium of the heart. But sitting in her bed in the paediatrics ward at KEM hospital yesterday, Shreya was all smiles, full of hope to return to school. 
Miracle: Shreya Jawale after the surgery at KEM hospital yesterday
For her miraculous recovery, she has to thank the doctors who performed a difficult surgery to remove the two cancerous tumours lodged in two major organs of her body. And her grit, which made her battle through eight rounds of chemotherapy.
About one-and-a-half months ago, Shreya was referred to KEM hospital, when doctors in Latur diagnosed a tumour developing in her kidney. The family immediately brought her to the civic-run city hospital, where a sonography revealed that the tumour was growing aggressively.
"Our first aim was to arrest the growth of the cancerous tumour, and after taking advice from doctors at Tata Hospital, we made her undergo eight rounds of chemotherapy. She responded well to the cycles, and the growth of the tumour was brought under control. We then decided to operate on her," said Dr Sanjay Oak, dean of KEM hospital and head of the Pediatric surgery department.
On Friday, a team of paediatric and cardiac surgeons operated on Shreya. "We first approached her right kidney. Since the tumour had completely engulfed the kidney, we had to remove it. The tumour had extended from the kidney through the inferior vena cava into the right atrium in the heart. We first attempted to remove the tumour through the vein, but we had to abandon the idea owing to its large size. We asked the cardiac surgeons to intervene and complete the surgery," said Dr Oak.
The cardiac surgeons then performed a bypass surgery on Shreya, removing the tumour from her right atrium.
"We never thought that she could develop cancer at such a tender age. It was difficult seeing her suffer the adverse effects of chemotherapy, but the surgeons here have given her a new lease of life. She is very fond of studying and can't wait to go back to school.
We want her to be an officer one day," said Anil, Shreya's father.
Dr Oak added, "She is a fighter and she has responded very well to the treatment. Her post-operative reports show that she is the path to recovery. She will now need to visit us for regular follow ups."
ADVERTISEMENT
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
