63-Year-Old Elderly Woman Suffering from Rare Reported Abdominal Elephantiasis treated at Fortis Escorts Faridabad
63-Year-Old Elderly Woman Suffering from Rare Reported Abdominal Elephantiasis treated at Fortis Escorts Faridabad
- Patient lost 10 kgs post-surgery –
-Abdominal Elephantiasis is extremely rare condition with only 0.005% of the population diagnosed-
Faridabad, 16 December 2024: The Plastic Surgery Team at Fortis Escorts Hospital Faridabad successfully treated a rare reported case where a 63-year-old woman who was suffering from Abdominal Elephantiasis. Abdominal Elephantiasis is a rare condition, where layers of extra-large loose hanging bulk of skin and fat originates from the abdomen along with umbilical hernia (an abnormal bulge at the belly button). A team of doctors led by Dr Manish Nanda, Additional Director, Plastic Surgery, Fortis Escorts Hospital Faridabad operated and removed the bulk of loosely hanging skin and fat folds by performing a challenging tummy tuck procedure. The removal of fat tissues, skin folds and underlying muscles through the surgery led to a significant weight loss in the patient. The Patient lost 10 kgs, post the tummy tuck surgery. The surgery lasted for 4 hours, and the patient was discharged within six days in a stable condition.
The patient was in a critical condition for around 10 years owing to extreme pain because of the hanging bulk of skin and fat folds from her abdomen with restricted mobility. Upon admission at Fortis Escorts Faridabad, the patient underwent detailed medical evaluations, which revealed umbilical hernia and poor muscular tone of the abdomen. The team of doctors decided to perform Hernioplasty (hernia repair surgery) and Abdominoplasty, commonly referred as "tummy tuck" procedures to reduce the excess skin and fat folds around the abdomen and strengthen the abdominal wall muscle.
Giving details of the case, Dr Manish Nanda, Additional Director, Plastic Surgery, Fortis Escorts Hospital Faridabad said, “Such a condition with extra-large folds of skin and fat is very rare among this age group
and occurs in 0.005% of the global population. It had occurred in this case due to the patient’s age, obesity and decreased muscular tone of her abdomen. The procedure was extremely challenging considering the age of the patient and severity of the disease. There were risks of excessive blood loss, infection of the skin, widening of wound, multi-organ failure and chances of the patient being put on ventilator support. However, we followed the standard operation procedure which included her cardiac evaluation, blood sugar monitoring, injecting insulin (as she had diabetes), precision anaesthesia, surgical execution and advanced wound care. All these led to a successful surgery. Had the surgery been not done on time, the patient would have had a poor quality of life, increased risk of cardiac ailments, early degenerative changes in joints and spine and increased chances of skin infections due to her increased weight.”
Yogendra Nath Awadhiya, Facility Director, Fortis Escorts Hospital Faridabad said, “This was a rare condition, and the surgery was complex considering the severity of the disease. However, the team of doctors led by Dr Manish Nanda meticulously handled the case and executed the surgery with great precision and care. Such cases require correct diagnostic approach and management strategies, and Fortis Escorts Hospital Faridabad is well-equipped to manage such challenging cases.”