Resection of the sternum with replacement by a titanium structure – a vital operation was performed at the NMIC of Radiology of the Ministry of Health of Russia

The most complex resection of the sternum with reconstruction with an individual titanium prosthesis and soft tissues, removal of the residual thyroid gland – two surgical teams from the thoracic department and the department of treatment of head and neck diseases work simultaneously in the operating room, and several anesthesiologists-resuscitators carefully monitor the patient’s condition. She is 69 years old and the MRSC named after A.F. Tsyba – the branch of the NMIC of Radiology of the Ministry of Health of Russia became her last hope. It was here that the woman was offered treatment that will affect her entire future life.

In 2014, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. The treatment was successful and for many years the woman lived quietly, worked and enjoyed life. However, over time, there were pains in the sternum, which signaled that something was wrong with health. Unfortunately, when contacting a doctor, discomfort in this area was associated with cardiovascular problems and a proper examination was not prescribed.

As time passed, a lump began to form in the sternum area, which caused pain and grew rapidly. It was then that the woman decided to apply to the MRSC named after A.F. Tsyba – here she was given an accurate diagnosis: follicular thyroid cancer and multiple metastatic foci in both lungs with bone damage.

As the first stage of treatment, the patient underwent radioiodotherapy, after which the foci in the lungs significantly decreased. It was this response that allowed doctors to decide on a serious step – to offer a woman a sternum resection with the removal of several ribs and their replacement with an individually made titanium structure.

– Our patient received all treatment under state guarantees. This also includes the manufacture of an individual titanium prosthesis, the market value of which is very high. It is important to talk about this, people with such problems should know that for treatment it is absolutely not necessary to go to another country or go to a paid clinic – they can get free medical care within a department like ours, – says Ilya Kolobaev, head of the department of radiation and surgical treatment of diseases of the thoracic region of the MRSC named after A.F. Tsyba.

Surgeons operated for five hours. The operation began with rib resection: the metastatic lesion reached 9 cm in length and was very well supplied with blood. Due to the large size of the formation, the heart was compressed, which also affected the general condition of the patient. In parallel, another team of thoracic surgeons performed laparoscopic mobilization of the omentum in order to close the titanium structure with soft tissues. A little later, Dr. Vyacheslav Polkin, the head of the department of radiation and surgical treatment of head and neck diseases, joined the team – the patient had the remaining part of the thyroid gland removed.

Next is the key stage, you need to connect the ribs and the prosthesis, everything must be precisely measured and carefully put in its place. After that, close all this with a part of the oil seal and sew it up. Throughout the operation, the team of anesthesiologists-resuscitators clearly monitors all indicators, monitors blood loss, takes tests to track the patient’s condition in real time.

To date, our heroine has already been transferred from the intensive care unit to her ward. She’s much better. The most important thing in this story is how well all the pros and cons were weighed. Despite the age and concomitant diseases (heart problems), doctors were convinced that intervention was necessary.

– The patient has yet to undergo further treatment with radioactive iodine, but we have removed the most significant metastasis, which occupies most of the sternum, and now we can talk not only about saving life, but also about its quality. If we hadn’t replaced the ribs with a construction, she wouldn’t have been able to do even basic things, such as combing her hair,” Ilya Vladimirovich says.

The fact that such treatment in our country can be obtained under state guarantees is not a miracle and is not an exception to the rules. Appointments for consultations with specialists at the NMIC of Radiology are made by calling the contact center:

+7 (800) 250-87-00

+7(495)150-11-22

Press Service of the NMIC of Radiology of the Ministry of Health of Russia