Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City said on August 12 that doctors had successfully removed the unusually large tumour from the woman, who had returned from the US seeking treatment.
CT results showed the patient's retroperitoneal lesion (Photo: Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital).
The woman had noticed that her abdomen was becoming increasingly enlarged and unusually firm, but experienced little or no pain. After several medical examinations, doctors discovered a large tumour in her abdominal cavity.
She waited three months for treatment in her local area and was referred between several specialist departments, but the condition was not definitively treated.
She subsequently decided to return to Vietnam in search of treatment.
Examinations and diagnostic tests at Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital found a large tumour behind the peritoneum on the left side of her abdomen, measuring 20 by 13 by 26cm. The mass contained soft and fatty tissue, surrounded the left kidney and displaced the pancreas and colon.
Le Huy Luu, head of the hospital's department of gastrointestinal surgery, said that despite the tumour's considerable size, the woman had experienced only gradual abdominal enlargement over two months. She had no pain and continued to eat and carry out her normal activities.
This lack of obvious symptoms is one reason retroperitoneal tumours are often detected at an advanced stage, Luu said.
Fortunately, the tumour had not invaded nearby organs or spread to distant parts of the body.
After careful assessment and treatment planning, the surgical team removed the entire 5kg tumour while preserving the woman's left kidney and all other organs and structures in the abdominal cavity.
Blood loss during the operation was minimal, allowing her to recover quickly.
Doctors perform surgery to remove the woman's retroperitoneal tumour (Photo: Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital).
After seven days of intensive postoperative monitoring and care, her condition stabilised. She was eating and moving normally and was discharged from hospital.
At her most recent follow-up, the woman was recovering well, with her surgical wound healed and her quality of life significantly improved.