Washington: An Indian-origin doctor serving in the US Army has successfully removed a brain tumor through the patient’s nose, a procedure hailed as a major medical achievement.
The patient, US Navy Sergeant Andy Archer, had suffered severe headaches for 15 years, followed by vision problems. Tests found a 4.4 cm tumor near the pituitary gland at the base of the brain, pressing on the optic nerve.
He was admitted to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center near Washington for surgery. Major Jagatkumar Patel, a skull-base surgery specialist, led the operation with support from neurosurgeon Colonel Charles Miller.
Instead of the conventional approach of opening the skull, the team used an endoscopic camera and accessed the tumor through the nasal passages. Hospital sources said Archer returned to normal within two days without complications.
The Pentagon praised the medical team for completing the complex surgery successfully using newer medical technology rather than the usual method.
