MAKKAH: A Saudi multidisciplinary medical team at the Makkah-based King Abdullah Medical City, has successfully conducted a rare and critical surgical procedure to remove a lymphocytes tumor from a two-year-old Saudi boy. The tumor was caused by a congenital defect. The team was led by Dr. Awwad Al-Beshri, an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery consultant. “The child was brought to the hospital some time ago and had been under constant medical follow up,” said Al-Beshri. “The size of the tumor had made it difficult for the child to move his neck. Therefore there was a need for surgical intervention to save the life of the child.” He said the tumor had surrounded vital parts of the neck such as the vagus nerve that acts to lower the heart rate, the phrenic nerve that feeds the diaphragm, the glossopharyngeal nerve, and the nerve that controls the movement of the shoulder, said Al-Beshri. The tumor weighed on the veins and arteries feeding the head and neck and brain, which was a threat to the child's life, he added. During the seven-hour operation, the tumor was completely removed with accurate and careful surgery. He said the child has now recovered and will be able to have a normal life.
