Shock for patient

Abdominal pain turned out to be a mega tumor

The medical team removed a huge tumor (the large, dark grey area on the left in the picture).(Bild: zVg)

Surgeons at Oberwart Hospital have now successfully performed a delicate operation. In a two-hour operation, they removed a 30-centimetre tumor from a patient.

A pensioner complained of abdominal pain and an increasingly swollen stomach when he came to Oberwart Hospital. The 74-year-old had already endured the pain for around three weeks before he finally decided to seek medical advice. The right decision, as it turned out.

Tumor had grown slowly
During the comprehensive examination, the cause of the symptoms quickly became clear: a cystic tumor had slowly formed in the man's upper abdomen, which had eventually grown to an incredible 30 centimetres in size. "A tumor of this size is rare. Due to the enormous size and location of the tumor - between the liver, right kidney, large aorta and colon - the operation was a challenge," says Prof. Dr. Peter Kornprat, Head of the Department of Surgery in Oberwart.

A delicate operation
The delicate operation took two hours, but ultimately ended well. Together with senior physician Dr. Thomas Niernberger and medical student Laura Schermann, who is currently completing her clinical internship year at the new clinic, Kornprat succeeded in removing the benign tumor.

Dr. Thomas Niernberger, medical student Laura Schermann and Primarius Univ.-Prof. Dr. Peter Kornprat performed the procedure.(Bild: zVg)

"An incredible feeling"
The 25-year-old scholarship holder is one of 148 budding doctors who are supported by a state scholarship and in return undertake to work in Burgenland for five years after completing their studies. The operation was a special experience for her: "I'm grateful that I was able to take part in this delicate operation. It's an incredible feeling when a patient can go home healthy again. That's exactly why I want to become a doctor, to help people."

Cutting-edge medicine just around the corner
For Governor Hans Peter Doskozil, the successful operation is also proof of how important it is to offer cutting-edge medicine close to home: "The people of Burgenland deserve the best medical care, and they should get it. They can rely on us."

Patient is back at home
The 74-year-old patient has since been able to leave the hospital in Oberwart, is symptom-free and, according to him, "feels very well".