CMCH performs lobectomy surgery to save 37-yr-old man

Coimbatore: A team of doctors from the cardiothoracic department of the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) has saved the life of a 37-year-old patient by removing a part of his left lung infected with mucormycosis.
The lower lobe, which is about 40% of the left lung, was removed with surgical procedure thereby preventing the infection from spreading to other organs.
“While lobectomy (surgical removal of a lobe of an organ) is performed for patients with tuberculosis and fibrosis, this is the first time that it is performed for mucormycosis in CMCH,” dean of the hospital A Nirmala said.
She said mucormycosis has a systematic spread. If it goes into the blood vessel through the lung, the chance of infection spreading to other nearby organs is very high. To prevent such a condition, a lobectomy procedure was essential in this case.
A team of five doctors led by Dr E Seerinivasan, head of cardiothoracic surgery department, carried out the surgery on September 30 and the patient is stable.
The patient, L Govindharajan, 37, of Mettur in Salem district, was admitted to a private hospital in Coimbatore for Covid-19 treatment in April this year. A known case of diabetes mellitus, he had a high level of pulmonary involvement of Covid-19 (CORADS 5).
While he was discharged after treatment for Covid-19, he was again admitted to a private hospital in Salem a few days back following complaints of hemoptysis (coughing up blood). The patient was found to have his left lung lower lobe infected with mucormycosis.
After being diagnosed with mucormycosis, the patient was referred to CMCH, where doctors in the cardiothoracic surgery department found that mucormycosis had completely damaged the lower part of the lung.
The infection can erode the other nearby organs and heart which posed a threat to his life, said Dr E Seerinivasan. To save his life, infection to other parts of the body had to be prevented and removing the lower part of the left lung was the only available option, he said.
The patient is doing well after the surgery which was done under the chief minister comprehensive health insurance scheme. The same surgery will cost around Rs 3-5 lakh in a private facility, the dean said.