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Doctors remove an orange-sized heart tumour, save Mumbai man with double cardiac trouble

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In a remarkable case that stunned even experienced cardiac specialists, a 67-year-old Dombivli resident survived a rare and potentially fatal combination of a heart tumour and a major artery blockage, thanks to a timely diagnosis and life-saving surgery, TOI reported.

Yogesh Mehta, a retired hardware businessman, had been struggling with unusual symptoms for weeks, persistent weakness, loose motions, and alarming breathlessness whenever he lay down. “It never felt like a heart issue,” said Mehta, recalling how he visited multiple doctors who initially suspected digestive problems.

But the real cause turned out to be far more serious. Mehta had a right atrial myxoma, a benign but dangerously placed heart tumour, along with a significant blockage in one of his heart’s main arteries.

“It is rare to find a right atrial myxoma and even more rare to have a concomitant coronary artery disease in the same patient,” said Dr Bijoy Kutty, the cardiac surgeon who treated Mehta. “When we removed the tumour, it was the size of a small orange.”

The situation turned urgent on March 23, when Mehta collapsed in his bathroom. “It took us some time to revive him,” TOI quoted his wife, Trupti, as saying. Their son Paras rushed him to a local hospital, which then referred them to Icon Hospital in Dombivli, where Dr Kutty detected both the tumour and the artery blockage during scans.


Given the complexity of the condition, Mehta was transferred to Platinum Hospital in Mulund, where he underwent a five-hour surgery on March 26. The operation successfully removed the tumour and cleared the blockage in his left anterior descending (LAD) artery.

Dr Kutty explained that while the tumour was benign, such masses can be dangerous due to the risk of embolization, where fragments break off and travel through the bloodstream, potentially causing a stroke or other life-threatening complications.

Now on the path to recovery, Mehta is overwhelmed with gratitude. “I’ve got a second life,” he said, surrounded by his family including his three sons.

Doctors have assured the family that the tumour is unlikely to return, and Mehta’s dual cardiac issues have been completely addressed.

(With inputs from TOI)
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