The rebirth of Geidy
A novel surgery is inscribed among the battles won by science in the memory of the José Martí Pediatric Hospital in Sancti Spíritus.
Geidy Santiago Calzada, a 16-year-old teenager from Trinidad, had her routine abruptly changed when, just 10 days ago, she was diagnosed with a giant tumor in her right ovary.
The cyst of almost enormous dimensions, whose presence in pediatric patients is as unusual as it is disturbing, loomed like a threatening shadow over her future.
Geidy’s clinical picture was worrisome. Her progressively bulging abdomen resembled an advanced pregnancy. This increase in volume was accompanied by visible varicose veins in her legs, a noticeable increase in her weight and a persistent tachycardia that accelerated her pulse, signs that echoed the internal pressure exerted by the cyst.
The surgical team of the pediatric hospital in Espiritu was then organized with steely determination, aware of the magnitude of the challenge. Among them, Dr. Yoan Manuel Varela Rodríguez, a first-degree specialist in Pediatric Surgery, took on the mission of operating on Geidy with the precision and safety that only experience can confer.
“I have had the mission of attending to this patient, who arrived referred by the Trinidad surgery team with a giant ovarian cyst, but we were always confident that we would succeed in restoring her to health, he explained.
The situation was becoming increasingly tense, and coordination between the various anesthesia, endocrinology and cardiology specialties was essential. It was evaluated that the pressure exerted by the cyst had repercussions on the cardiovascular system, and a microlesion in the thyroid, discovered in the process, added a nuance to the complexity of the case.
Faced with this scenario, the decision was unanimous: surgery had to be performed as soon as possible to avoid complications.
The operating room was transformed into a sanctuary. Every instrument, every monitor, every hand preparing to act vibrated in unison with the promise of eradicating that threat.
The operation was conceived as a meticulous choreography: the objective was to resect the cyst in its entirety without contaminating the abdominal cavity. The surgical plan unfortunately included removal of the right ovary and tube, in the hope that the left ovary would remain in optimal condition. In addition, it was decided to perform a complementary appendectomy, taking advantage of the access to the cavity to ensure that no latent risk remained.
With tension in the air and the patient’s fate hanging in the balance, surgeon Varela Rodriguez describes the critical moments of the procedure: “The magnitude of the cyst, which occupied almost the entire abdominal cavity, demanded an intervention of millimetric precision and our goal was to free Geidy from that burden without compromising the integrity of her cavity.
So, with meticulous movements and perfect coordination, the medical team set about the arduous task of removing the tumor.
The operation progressed in an atmosphere charged with adrenaline and determination. Finally, the giant cyst was removed in its entirety, and the abdominal cavity was immaculate, free of any contamination. The right ovary, already deteriorated by compression, was removed without mishap, while the left ovary and uterus were preserved, leaving open the possibility of future fertility.
The success of the operation was not only a technical triumph, but also an emotional one; Geidy’s parents, who had accompanied their daughter on this arduous journey, expressed immense gratitude that was palpable in every corner of the hospital.
Their faces, marked by the worry and uncertainty of the previous days, lit up when they received the news that the procedure had been successful.
The testimony of surgeon Varela Rodriguez and the unwavering coordination of the multidisciplinary team became an inspiring example of what can be achieved when science and passion come together. “Our goal is always to save and improve the quality of life of our patients,” stated the surgeon. “Eradicating the tumor in this case was fundamental to prevent future complications and seeing Geidy’s smile, the gratitude of her parents fills us with pride and drives us to continue working with the same dedication.”
In the heat of that decisive day, the Provincial Pediatric Hospital of Sancti Spíritus demonstrated that, even in the face of the most imposing challenges, the union of knowledge and collective effort can transform adversity into rebirth.
