Surgeons in India have removed what is thought to be the world's biggest ever uterine tumour. The giant growth was removed from the womb of a 52-year-old woman identified only as Latha.
Doctors in the southern city of Chennai performed a complex operation on a 52-year-old woman identified as Latha.
She had been suffering breathlessness and fatigue for several years but had no idea the giant tumour - similar to the size of a watermelon - was growing inside her.
A month ago, the 52-year-old arrivied at Chennai's Kumaran Hospital, bleeding heavily.
Doctors ran tests and discovered she was severely anaemic, before detecting a 'large fibroid' growth attached to the outer surface of the uterus, which was putting pressure on her body and causing her symptoms.
Dr Mani Mekalai, head of the hospital's department of obstetrics and gynaecology, said the team were 'shocked' to find the massive growth.
She said: 'In medical parlance, this is called a super giant uterine fibroid and the largest one removed before this, in Africa weight 21lbs.
When Latha arrived at Chennai Hospital bleeding heavily last month, doctors performed a series of tests. They discovered a huge mass growing outside her uterus. The patient had no idea she had a tumour growing inside her.
She said symptoms of tumours are normally linked to the location of the fibroid, but since this was outside the uterus, the patient was unaware it was growing.
Latha was taken into the operating theatre within two days of being admitted to hospital.
A team of four doctors performed the surgery, to remove the tumour.
Surgical gastroenterologist Dr Shiva Kumar said: 'The surgery which went on for three-and-a-half hours by itself was challenging as the fibroid, which takes blood supply to grow, had a lot of blood vessels attached to it.
'It was also stuck to the small bowel and omentum and was also pressing on the uterus.
'We had to carefully slice through and detach it.'
The team removed the uterus along with the fibroid - which measured 21 inches in diameter - to prevent it from re-growing.
Latha has recovered and been discharged from hospital.
Dr Mekalai explained that though uterine tumours were common in women, the fibroid that was removed recently was unusually large.
'Nearly 25 per cent of women in the reproductive group are susceptible to such fibroids and they usually come in multiples.
'High amounts of oestrogen can cause these tumours,' she added.
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