A complex surgical operation was performed at the Oncology Department of Bari to remove a large sarcoma of the sternum weighing almost 4 kilos .
The operation, which lasted approximately eleven hours , was performed two weeks ago on a 72-year-old patient, who was discharged today and returned home.
The operation was performed by Dr. Gaetano Napoli, director of the Thoracic Surgery Unit of the "Giovanni Paolo II" Cancer Institute.
"The operation - explains Napoli - involved the removal of the sternum with the medial portions of the first eight ribs, the medial portion of the clavicles, plus the removal of the anterior pericardium . The pericardial defect was repaired with Gore-Tex patches while the chest wall was reconstructed with a Gore-Tex patch plus titanium plates and splints and muscle-skin flaps . In our Institute we have the human, technical and technological resources to perform this type of operation".
The size of the sarcoma, in fact, and the close proximity to the superior vena cava, the epiaortic vessels and the pericardium made the operation particularly delicate, which was perfectly successful. The post-operative course was regular.
"Once again - says the general director of the Bari oncology department Alessandro Delle Donne - our surgeries demonstrate that they can handle extremely complex operations. I thank Napoli and his team that followed the operation, also composed of the surgeon Francesca Tota and two anesthetists, for their tireless and professional work".
(Online Union)