High-Risk Lung Cancer Surgery Successfully Performed at Sterling Hospitals

Ahmedabad: In a medical triumph that reads like a victory against impossible odds, doctors at Sterling Hospitals, Ahmedabad, have successfully performed one of the most critical and challenging lung surgeries - a residual pneumonectomy - giving a 65-year-old farmer from Junagadh a new lease of life.

This patient had already fought one battle with lung cancer, losing part of his right lung in a previous surgery. But when cancer struck again in the remaining portion of the same lung, his hopes began to fade. Doctors discovered not one, but two new suspicious spots in the upper and middle lobes of his lung - meaning the only option was to remove what little was left of it.

“It was like walking on a tightrope without a safety net,” said Dr. Manthan Merja, Senior Consultant – Surgical Oncology, Sterling Hospitals, who led the surgical team. “The patient had only one lung to depend on for his survival after surgery. The risks were enormous - but so was our determination to save him.”

The surgery was performed with the help of robotic technology, but challenges were everywhere. Scar tissue from the earlier operation made the procedure extremely delicate. Even putting the patient on anaesthesia was complicated because his airway anatomy had changed from the first surgery.

The team operated while carefully ventilating the patient’s fragile lung with low volumes of air. Every cut, every stitch, every minute in the operating room was a battle against nature itself. Yet, the expertise and flawless coordination of the team turned the tide. After hours of tense surgery, the diseased portions were removed. When the patient finally opened his eyes after surgery, he was breathing and alive.

Against all odds, the farmer recovered quickly. By the sixth day, he was walking the hospital corridors. By the ninth day, his chest tubes were removed, and soon after, he was on his way home - smiling, breathing, and grateful.

“This success is not just medical; it is human,” said Dr. Merja. “It shows that with the right planning, teamwork, and technology, even the toughest challenges can be overcome.”

The victory was shared by a dedicated team: Dr. Maunil Shah (Intensivist), Dr. Varun Patel (Pulmonologist), and Dr. Shivani Kakroo (Senior Anaesthesiologist), Dr. Dipal Shah (radiologist), Dr. Bhavin Shah (medical oncologist), Dr. Pooja (radiation oncologist) along with skilled nurses and support staff. Their combined efforts turned what seemed impossible into a story of survival and triumph.

Mr. Raman Bhaskar, Zonal Director, Sterling Hospitals - Ahmedabad, said, “For Sterling Hospitals, this surgery is more than a medical achievement. It is a reminder that science, compassion, and courage can come together to save lives when hope seems lost.”