Doctors in Taiwan removed a massive amount of diseased tissue from a man’s abdomen during a rare surgery. The patient, a 34-year-old man, suffered from rare intestinal tumors, which led to serious digestive problems.
The man first visited another hospital due to long-term abdominal bloating. Doctors there found nothing unusual during a colonoscopy. However, a physician noticed a hard mass in his lower abdomen during a physical exam. Because of this, the doctor referred him to Chung Shan Hospital for further imaging.
At Chung Shan Hospital, the patient underwent a CT scan. The scan revealed multiple masses inside his abdominal cavity. Dr. Wu De-chiang, a gastrointestinal specialist at the hospital, led the surgical team.
Dr. Wu reported that the man had severe constipation and multiple fatty tumors. During the operation, the team found the end of his small intestine twisted and blocked. The area was packed with stool and tumors.
Over the next three hours, the doctors carefully removed 2.5 kilograms of diseased tissue. The tissue included nearly 100 lipomatous tumors, which are fatty but non-cancerous. These rare intestinal tumors are usually harmless but caused severe symptoms in this case.
Dr. Liu Meng-lun, another specialist involved in the surgery, called the case unusual. He explained that these types of tumors mostly grow in the large intestine. In this patient, however, the growths developed in the small intestine. That made the situation both rare and serious.
Liu also warned patients not to ignore early symptoms. Many people dismiss mild bloating or occasional constipation. But if left untreated, rare intestinal tumors can cause life-threatening issues. These include bleeding, bowel obstruction, intestinal rupture, and even sepsis.
Chou Jen-wei, a doctor at China Medical University Hospital, said that such tumors appear more often in middle-aged adults. While experts still don’t know the exact cause, black stool and abdominal pain often appear as warning signs.
Thankfully, the patient has recovered well after surgery. He now continues follow-up treatment at Chung Shan Hospital. Doctors plan to document his case in a medical journal. The hospital hopes that this rare case will raise awareness about rare intestinal tumors and their potential dangers.
