In a heartwarming tale of courage and cutting-edge medical innovation, doctors at Fortis Escorts, Okhla, have successfully treated a 6-year-old boy from Uzbekistan who was battling a rare and life-threatening kidney cancer called Bilateral Wilms Tumor. This extraordinary achievement is the first of its kind in India and highlights the power of advanced surgical expertise and hope.

The boy’s struggle began with a grim diagnosis. Tumors were found in both his kidneys, putting his life at serious risk. Despite undergoing chemotherapy in his home country, his condition remained critical, and his parents sought advanced treatment in India. When they arrived at Fortis Escorts, the skilled medical team, led by Dr. Paresh Jain, Director of Urology and Kidney Transplant, devised a bold and innovative plan to save his life.

The journey to recovery was anything but simple. On his initial evaluation, doctors found that the left kidney was severely affected by cancer, while the right kidney was also compromised. Additionally, the lymph nodes in the area were enlarged, complicating the situation further. In August 2024, the team decided to begin treatment with laparoscopic surgery. They successfully removed the tumor from the right kidney and excised the affected lymph nodes, all while carefully performing a biopsy on the left kidney.

Following this surgery, the boy returned to Uzbekistan for a round of chemotherapy. When he came back to India in November, follow-up scans brought a mix of relief and new challenges. While the right kidney was cancer-free and the tumor in the left kidney had significantly shrunk, the left kidney presented a new set of difficulties. Scar tissue and thickened tissues from prior treatments made it nearly impossible to safely remove the tumor while preserving the kidney.

Faced with this challenge, the doctors opted for a groundbreaking procedure known as kidney auto-transplantation. In a meticulously planned eight-hour surgery, the medical team removed the left kidney from the boy’s body through a small incision. Outside the body, the tumor was carefully dissected and removed, and the kidney’s blood vessels and drainage pathways were reconstructed. Once the kidney was cleared of cancer, it was re-implanted into the boy’s lower abdomen. The surgery was a success, preserving his natural kidney function and sparing him from the need for a transplant.

Dr. Jain called the procedure a milestone in Indian medicine, noting, “This is a rare condition, and only 16 similar cases have been documented worldwide. It’s the first time such a surgery has been performed in India. The challenges were immense, but the outcome is a testament to our team’s expertise and the resilience of this brave boy.”

The success of this surgery extended beyond the operating room. The boy’s mother, who might have otherwise needed to donate her kidney, was spared from that ordeal. Additionally, by saving the boy’s natural kidney, the team avoided the need for lifelong immunosuppressive medications, which can come with serious side effects and financial strain.

Today, the boy has made a full recovery and is back to living a normal childhood. His mother expressed her heartfelt gratitude, saying, “We came to India with little hope, but the doctors at Fortis gave us back our son. He’s smiling and playing again, and we can’t thank the team enough for their hard work and care.”

Dr. Vikram Aggarwal, Facility Director at Fortis Escorts, Okhla, hailed the achievement as a landmark moment for Indian healthcare. “This case demonstrates the incredible potential of multidisciplinary care. The dedication and collaboration of our team made this outcome possible, and it stands as a beacon of hope for families facing similar challenges.”

This groundbreaking case not only highlights the advanced capabilities of Indian healthcare but also offers renewed hope to families dealing with rare and complex medical conditions. The successful treatment of this young boy is a powerful reminder that with innovation, expertise, and compassion, even the toughest battles can be won.