Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1886-08-27
A SURGICAL TRIUMPH.
Thirty-f1ve Pounds of Tumor Re.
moved from a Woman.
The Most Complicated Operation OF Its
Kind Ever Performed in the United
States-The AgonIes Endured by
Long-Sufering Patient.
IN. Y. Tribune.l

At the Hahuemann Hospital recently a
brilliant surgical operation was performed
to extirpate complication of new growths
such as rarely exist in the human being,
and when they are found and an opera
ton is undertaken death follows in three
out of four cases. The patient was a mid
dle-aged, unmarried woman. Her malady
began about ten years ago, and the first
external indication was slight swelling
in the abdomen jnst below the umbilicus.
at first it seemed to remain stationary and
to give little trouble. Then would follow
season of rapid growth which would give
way to period of inactivity.
When the swelling had grown so large as
to cause discomfort the patient submitted
to long course of private treatment to
dissipate and absorb the growing tissue.
Electricity was persistently tried, with the
only effect OF aggravating the symptoms.
Skilled manipulators were employed and
piled their various modes of treatment
with no apparent effect. She was also put
on the famed Salisbury diet. This did re-
suit in a benefit for time. but by its long
continuance blood contamination resulted
and an aggravatedfo form of scurvy appeared,
which compelled the giving up of the treat
ment. After the attack of scurvy had been
controlled the disease increased with alarm
ngrapidty and caused serious disturbance
Her heart being forced out of place it did
not beat in tae right spot, and palpitations
were present after slight exertion aud gave
rise to TIE belief in the mind of the patient
that her heart would burst through the
chest
On March IL she was admitted to this
hospital and an examination was made to
determine the real nature of the trouble
The abdomen was punctured over the
swelling and quantity of liquid was care
fully taken out. This was submitted to
microscopical analysis, and from the cell
formations found the growth was dag
nosed as myo fbromata, a comparatively
rare form of tumor. The woman's abdo-
men had become enormous some three
feet being added to the circumference.
There was hut one thing could bring relief
and that was to take out this tumor, and
though death would probably result from
It, as the patient was informed, she gladly
gave her consent to have the operation un-
dertaken, expressing her belief that death
was preferable to constant torture. In the
afternoon she was taken to the little oya-
riotomy pavilion in the hospital yard
This is the only pavilion of the kind in this
city, and is built on a perfectly artiseptic
plan, SO that the walls floor aud every
thing connected with it can be saturated
with bichloride of mercury. After the
ether cone was administered the surgeon
made ready for his WORK. Taking a keen
edged knife he made an incision beginning
just below the sternum aud running down
ward over the swollen surface of the alb
domen for fifteen inches Carefully the
knife was driven through the abdominal
wall and tho portion sum, and then the
shining, glistening, smooth surface of the
tumor burst through.the opening and pro-
Jected beyond the abdom nal wall 1t was
SO large and of such peculiar shape that
1t hid all the organs in the body from view.
1t was about twelve inches in diameter.
As it was carefully raised so that a view of
its under portion could be had, the intes-
tines were found to have grown fast to it
in several places. By delicate manipula-
uon these adhesions were severed, and the
tumor ives slowly elevated until its pedicle
could be examined. This was found to be
about six inches in diameter, and from its
shape it was feared that it could not be ar
ranged so as to control the hemorrhage
The tumor was raised as far out of the
body as possible, under a gentle tension
and efforts were then made to prevent the
usual flow of blood. The tissue i'm the ped
jcle was made as small as it could be and a
thick rubber ligature was wound tightly
around it, near the base. Great care had
to be taken to keep the intestines from
being caught in the ligature, and when
ever they were exposed they were at once
covered with warm cloths. After the Iiga-
ture had been made fast, one of Tate's
clamps was put on the pedicle Just above
it. When it was adjusted TO proper posi-
ton set screw was worked until a pressure
was put upon the base of the tumor Then
the tumor was split open with knife its
entire length. The inside was found
to be made up of degerated tissue
and thousands of little, independent, tu-
mors. These were torn out by the sur
geon where the flesh was soft and where il
was of frmer texture knife was used.
Some Of the blood vessels in the tumor
were more than an inch in diameter. and
il it had not been for the ligature and
clamp the patient would have bled to
death in less than u minute. When all the
tumor that could be removed conveniently
had been taken away in pieces the remain
ing portion was severed with large knife
just above where the clamp was attached.
Out of the wide-gaping mouths of the
arteries thus exposed not more than an
ounce of bloodran into the abdominal space
After the liquid had been removed from the
cavity and it had been washed thorough
ly with an antiSeptic solution the warm
cloths were taken from the intcstines and
what remained of the peiicle of the tusnor
was pulled as far out of the body as posi-
BILE. The incision was then carefully su
tured with catgut and silver wire around
the pedicle, the ligature and clamp being
left outside the abdomen. Needles were
run through the tissue below the
clamp to prevent it from slipping as
the pedicle gradually contracted The
raw surface of the pedicle which was
thus exposed was cauterized with Panaue-
Inns cautery, or a red-hot iron, and all the
blood-vesseis were contracted The wound
was then covered with antiseptic dressings
and the operation of hysteratomy was
ended, having taken an hour and thirty
minutes to perform it. All the organs in
the pelvic cavity were entirely extirpated
and without any henorrhage The pedicle
was left outside the abdomen go that as il
decomposed and formed pus none could
get inside and set up peritonitis.
So much tissue (about thirty five pounds)
nao been taken out that the patient was
expected to die within short time from
the shock, but there was only a slight sec
ondary shock aud it was controlled with
Little trouble. The ped.cIe is sloughing off
slowly now, the wound is healthy and the
patient is improving in every way and will
PROBABLY recover.
Knew Him Entirely Too Wen.
Northwestern Lumberrnan.l
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knd fr- m, q f<,r