Raigad woman delivers baby boy, despite huge tumours

Mumbai, July 11 (IANS) A team of medicos from the civic-run Sion Hospital saved the life and first pregnancy of a 22-year-old woman who suffered from massive fibroids since the first two months after conceiving, an official said here Wednesday.

The patient - Meera (name changed) - hailed from Uran, Raigad district and medicos discovered multiple, large uterine fibroids in her first pregnancy's eighth week, the largest measuring 13x11x8 cms.

"It is usually difficult for a woman to conceive when there are cervical fibroids obstructing the uterine canal. Yet, this woman had conceived spontaneously within the first few months of her marriage," said Y.S. Nandawar, who headed the medical team handling the patient.

He admitted that continuing such a pregnancy was fraught with other problems like increased risk of abortion, severe bleeding, pre-term labour, increase in the size of fibroids, difficult labour, risk of hysterectomy and ante-partum and post-partum haemorrhage.

Nandanwar said that these complications can be often "life threatening" and the patient as well the doctors faced the dilemma of possible complications during termination of the pregnancy, loss of uterus and probably infertility, and complications of continuing the pregnancy.

"However, we finally decided to continue the pregnancy in consultation with her family, and she was admitted to hospital till the 14th week of her pregnancy. After carefully monitoring her condition, she was re-admitted from the eighth month to prepare for the delivery," Nandanwar said.

She underwent elective classical Ceasarean section, first removing the fibroid tumours and then the rest of the surgical procedures.

Much to the joy of the mother, her family and the medical team, a healthy baby boy, weighing 3 kgs, was delivered July 4, Nandanwar said.

"Caesarean Myomectomy (removal of the fibroids before the main surgical procedure for the delivery) is an exception as this surgery is complicated by severe torrential life-threatening bleeding and increase in patient morbidity," he explained.

Besides the woman - who was once contemplating an abortion - benefitted with the repair and restoration of her disfigured womb at the same operation, and leaving her free of fibroids or tumours.