Chennai hospital treats aged woman with multiple brain tumours

CHENNAI: Doctors in Gleneagles Hospital Chennai have successfully performed a complex single-stage surgery to remove multiple meningiomas (brain tumours) from a 75-year-old woman.

A team of doctors spearheaded by Dr Nigel Symss, HOD and senior consultant neurosurgeon, and Dr Venkatesan S, senior neurosurgeon, performed the rare and challenging procedure, considering the patient’s age. They removed the larger lesion measuring 4.5 X 5.0 cms located in the occipital lobe controlling vision, and the smaller lesion measuring approximately 2.8 X 3.0 cms located in the motor cortex area of the brain in a single stage surgery lasting for five hours.

The elderly patient from Puducherry visited Gleneagles Hospital Chennai in Dec 2025 with a history of progressive decreased vision in both eyes and weakness of the left upper limb of two months duration. She also had on and off headaches. Her symptoms were progressively worsening. Her comorbidities were diabetes mellitus and hypertension for several years. A detailed MRI scan revealed the presence of multiple meningiomas (brain tumours) located in different regions of the brain, causing pressure on vital neurological structures causing her loss of vision and weakness of the left upper limb.

Considering her age and her comorbidities, the patient and family were reluctant to even consider surgery. They were counselled by doctors that both lesions were in critical locations, one affecting her vision and the other causing weakness of the left upper limb, and in time the tumours would increase in size and cause further deterioration in her neurological status. The patient’s family finally agreed for the surgery. The pre-surgical evaluation by the doctor’s team including neuro critical care, and anaesthesia, clinical leads Dr Prasad Kumaresan and Dr Mohana Selvi decided to proceed with single-stage surgery and remove both tumours.

The surgical planning was challenging since the tumours were situated apart, one in the occipital region and one in the frontal region. It was challenging to position the patient and head such that there is easy access to both tumours without changing the patient position. The occipital larger tumour was addressed first. With the help of advanced technology brain mapping, navigation guidance, and ultramicroneurosurgery techniques small minimally invasive techniques used to reach the occipital tumour, which was totally resected. The smaller frontal tumour was addressed in a similar manner. Both tumours were removed successfully.