A four year old boy who lives in Havana, Cuba with his brothers and sisters. He had only one kidney. His other kidney had been removed as part of surgery to save his life because of a tumour known as a Wilms tumour, He had an ultrasound scan to check that his only remaining kidney was still OK. Unfortunately, the pictures showed that he had a large lump that looked like he had developed a second cancer in his remaining kidney. Manuel needed a second major operation to remove the tumour as without an operation, his life was at risk.
The removal of such a cancer is a complex procedure with high risk of major complications, and a major risk of loss of the kidney. The Kind Cuts for Kids team worked with the surgeons in Cuba to successfully remove the tumour. Apart from a return trip to theatre to remove a clot in the ureter, the boy made a very good recovery, and was home six days later, much to his family’s delight. The pathology examination of the specimen indicated that Manuel was likely to be cured of the cancer.
Demonstrating the technique of removal of the tumour to the local Cuban surgeons will greatly benefit other children in Cuba in the future.
