LAHORE: A team of doctors at the Punjab Institute of Neuro Sciences (PINS) has successfully operated seven patients suffering from brain tumour in a day.

The highly sensitive and complicated procedures a by assistant professors and senior registrars of the neurosurgery unit-I. The patients including two women and a teenage girl have been kept under observation for post-operative care.

Dr Babar Butt, Dr Amir Aziz, Dr Sikandar Ali, Dr Emmad Nasir, Dr Ijaz Butt, Dr Yasir Hotti and Dr Fahim Usman conducted the surgeries.

An official says the team of doctors has done a great job given the fact that the institute faces shortage of senior doctors. It also faces space and budget constraints.

Recently, the institute situated on the premises of the Lahore General Hospital hit the headlines when neurosurgeons demanded its independent status having its own principal and administration. At present, it faces 50pc shortage of manpower including doctors and nurses.

“It was for the first time that the junior doctors were allowed to perform the complicated surgeries,” said head of the unit Prof Rizwan Butt. He said the consultants performed procedures with endoscope without cut.

He further said they also performed posterior fossa tumour at back of head of a child. The posterior fossa tumour is a type of brain tumour located in or near the bottom of the skull, he said, adding that if not treated it can cause difficulty in walking and the patient can become unconscious.

The surgeon said two other patients were brought with glioma which causes fits, paralysis, headache and vomiting.

“Glioma is a broad category of brain and spinal cord tumours that come from glial cells of the brain that support nerve cells,” he said. This surgery is performed through the nose to remove tumours from the pituitary gland and skull base.

He said 400 to 450 patients of neurosurgery are being treated at the PINS.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2018