Dwarf woman undergoes complex surgery for fibroid uterus

A dwarf woman has undergone a complex surgery to correct fibroid uterus (tumours in the uterus) at a private hospital here.

Nishi Punam, 40, from Andaman weighed 28kgs and was only 93 cm in height.

Having the condition of 'dwarfism' caused by Achondroplasia -- mutation in fibroblast growth factor receptor that results in severely shortened bones -- her stature was that of a three year old child.

Nishi had visited the hospital's gastroenterology department with acidity problem, where doctors advised her to undergo gynaecological treatment.

A USG revealed she was suffering from fibroid uterus (tumours in the uterus) and required surgery.

"For someone like Nishi, any kind of surgery is very risky, complex and tough. 'Dwarfism' results in various complications since these individuals are adults, needing treatment for adult conditions, but on an anatomy that is in between the paediatric and adult group," said consultant gynaecologist Shilpita Banerjee of Medica Superspecialty Hospital.

Banerjee said in such cases, the abdominal space required for such a surgery is limited and anaesthesia was also a high risk procedure since the throat and the spine were very short.

However, Nishi was wheeled into the OT for the surgery.

"As feared, Nishi's anatomy was coming in our way of performing the necessary surgical procedures. Her cervix was like an infant, longer than her uterus and it was also extremely tough to use the necessary instruments required for such a surgery for the risk of internal injury since she had such limited space.

"Moreover, she had endometriosis (a disease where tissues that grow inside the uterus grow outside it) and her bladder was adhered to the anterior wall of her uterus. We had to dissect it and both her ovaries which were endometriotic had to be removed," Banerjee said.

Nishi underwent total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy-surgical removal of the entire uterus, the right and left fallopian tubes and the right and left ovaries.

A few days after the successful surgery, she left for Andaman with her family members.