AIIMS Bhopal Successfully Performs Treatment of Rare Adrenal Bladder Tumors

Under the guidance of Executive Director Prof. (Dr.) Ajai Singh, AIIMS Bhopal has achieved a significant success in the treatment of rare and complex urological tumors. The Department of Urology successfully treated 13 hormonally active adrenal tumors in the past year using advanced laparoscopic techniques, demonstrating the institution's innovation in medical care and surgical expertise. Among these, 7 patients with functional hormonally active adrenal tumors, such as pheochromocytoma and aldosteronoma, were treated through minimal invasive laparoscopic adrenalectomy. This is a surgical procedure in which laparoscopic techniques are used to remove the adrenal gland (located above the kidneys). Small incisions are made, and a laparoscope (a long, thin tube with a camera and light) is used to access the adrenal gland. The procedure involves less pain and quicker recovery.

Between June 2023 and May 2024, laparoscopic surgeries were performed using both retroperitoneal and transperitoneal approaches, determined by the tumor's size, location, and hormonal activity. The results were remarkable, with 43% of patients diagnosed with aldosterone-secreting adenoma and 57% with pheochromocytoma. In all patients with pheochromocytoma, vital signs normalized immediately after surgery. The average operation time was 120 minutes for retroperitoneal cases and 90 minutes for transperitoneal cases.

Additionally, AIIMS Bhopal successfully treated three rare neuroendocrine bladder tumors, which constitute less than 1% of all bladder cancer cases globally. These cases were identified as neuroendocrine tumors and paragangliomas and were managed through advanced diagnostic techniques, including imaging, metabolic tests, and histopathology. This work was presented by Dr. Ketan Mehra at the prestigious Arab Association of Urology conference in Doha and later at USICON 2025 in Chennai, where it received widespread recognition from the global medical community. Also further researches are being conducted in this field.

Prof. Singh stated, "This achievement reflects our continued progress in urology. The success of these advanced laparoscopic techniques demonstrates our commitment to providing world-class care to our patients." This accomplishment is a testament to the department's expertise in advanced laparoscopic surgery for the management of urological tumors, establishing AIIMS Bhopal as a center of excellence in urology. The work was done under guidance of Dr Devashish Kaushal, Dr Kumar Madhavan, Dr Ketan Mehra and Dr Nikita Shrivastava from Urology and Dr Alpesh Goel and Dr Rahul Gupta from Endocrinology.

Treatment of Rare Adrenal Bladder Tumors