Mangaluru: A 36-year-old man from Davangere, suffering from cough, hemoptysis and fever on and off for the past three years, was evaluated by Dr. Nithish Bhandary, Consultant Physician and Dr. Vishnu Sharma, Consultant Pulmonologist. It was found that his right main bronchial mass was occluding the entire right lung from ventilating and had features of collapse and consolidation and was referred for intervention.

For the first time in coastal Karnataka, bronchoscopy guided endobronchial intervention was performed and the mass was completely excised, which is a tricky procedure. On ventilating, the patient right lung expanded.

Since the right main bronchus mass was preventing the right lung from ventilating, causing collapse and consolidation, the condition required a pneumonectomy (surgical removal of the lung) with mass excision, which has a high mortality rate.

This endobronchial intervention avoided a major surgical procedure. The surgery was performed by Dr. Sambhram Shetty, Consultant Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon and supported by Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. Jayashankar Marla and Consultant Cardiac Anesthetist Dr. Gururaj Tantry and Intensivist Dr. Suhas M.K.

The patient was discharged in a stable condition and on a follow-up, a chest X-ray was repeated, and the lung was found completely expanded. Cardiothoracic and vascular surgery is offering various complex procedures, minimal access surgery and hybrid procedures.

It has been 18 years since A.J Hospital & Research Centre, Mangaluru was established and has become the leading referral centre in and around the city for all cardiac as well as thoracic vascular ailments. A.J Hospital has achieved many milestones by conducting various rare surgeries and procedures.