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Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu 

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A 39-YEAR-OLD woman is lucky to be alive after doctors at Mpilo Central Hospital removed a tumour weighing 30kg from her belly. 

Portia Gowero had lived with the growth which amounts to two-thirds of her actual weight for two years. She spent all her possessions trying to get rid of it with no luck. 

Before visiting Mpilo, Gowero went to Mutare Provincial Hospital and Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals seeking medical attention and could not find any help. 

The mother of seven underwent a major two-hour-long surgery at Mpilo on Wednesday which saw a team of 10 medical practitioners led by renowned gynaecologist Professor Solwayo Ngwenya remove the tumour which has been growing since February 2021. 

Mpilo chief medical officer Dr Narcisius Dzvanga said he was delighted that his staff had managed to restore normalcy in Gowero’s life. 

“We have a female from Mutare who was struggling with a growth in her tummy. This was operated on Wednesday and a 30kg mass was removed from her tummy. 

“It was quite a big operation and went on very well. It was remarkable work done by our staff members led by Professor Solwayo Ngwenya himself and I would like to congratulate my staff for doing such a successful operation despite the complications,” said Dr Dzvanga.

Chronicle caught up with Gowero who is stable and recovering at Mpilo.

She said the surgery was a miracle. 

The patient said when the tumour started developing she never took it seriously as she suspected that she was carrying her eighth child. 

“I was breastfeeding my seventh child in February 2021 when I noticed that my tummy was growing. I had to wean her thinking it was another pregnancy only to be told two months later that there was no baby. I would feel a heavy weight on my tummy and this thing continued to grow until it affected my breathing,” she said.

“At first I went to Mutare Hospital with the hope that they would help me but sadly I did not get help and the tumour kept growing daily. I was transferred to Parirenyatwa in Harare with no luck until I resolved to seek spiritual help from prophets who saw me sell every valuable possession including 15 goats, two cows, a solar system and household property just to get answers.” 

Gowero said the tumour also affected    her social life as family members started treating her as an outcast. 

“I live off peasant farming and I was struggling to work in the fields which also affected me. I was always in distress and carried this tumour for two years and five months. I lost a lot of property trying to find answers until I decided to visit my siblings who stay in Bulawayo as I was being ill-treated,” she said. 

“My sisters then brought me to Mpilo and I was lucky that on April 1 I found Professor Ngwenya doing rounds and it was decided that I be admitted and monitored to diagnose the problem. When they decided I had to be operated they highlighted that I need blood transfusion and we struggled to get three pints as my blood group is not easily accessible.” 

She added that after weeks of getting medical attention and sessions of blood transfusion, doctors confirmed all was set for an operation which was successfully done on Wednesday.

For Gowero, the staff at Mpilo gave her so much hope despite her challenges as she could not afford the medical bills.

“I am humbled by the love and care I got at Mpilo. The nurses were so professional and I pray the Government considers giving them a salary hike, they gave me hope,” she added. 

Mpilo public relations officer Sister Norma Mabhena said when Gowero first came to the hospital, they noticed that her tumour was still growing. 

Weighing a total of 75kg, Gowero was struggling to walk, eat and breathe properly.

Sr Mabhena also  expressed gratitude to Government whose initiatives ensured that Gowero had access to blood for free. 

“Her tumour was affecting vital organs like the lungs and heart and her appetite was very low. We are happy that she is recovering very well and we can tell she is relieved and will soon be able to walk. We are also proud of our colleagues who went all out during this rare surgery to save this precious life,” she said. 

“We had two surgeons including Professor Ngwenya  who was team leader, two anaesthetists, six nurses, several healthcare workers in and outside the theatre working flat out during the two-hour-long major operation. I think we last had this kind of surgery years ago where a team of our staff members operated on a woman who had a cyst weighing 25kg,” she added. 

https://youtu.be/2pCP9vJ2kXc

Sr Mabhena said the tumour was so big that Gowero bled a lot during surgery and so far the cause of the tumour hasn’t been established. 

“We have taken the tumour for histology and soon we will able to maybe explain what caused this.”

The largest tumour ever removed intact was a cyst of the right ovary weighing 138kg and the growth had a diameter of 1m and was removed in its entirety in October 1991 from the abdomen of an unnamed 34-year-old woman in the United States. 

Mpilo is however, not new to such rare surgeries as in 2008 another woman had a 25kg big cyst removed from her womb. 

The winning team was also led by Professor Ngwenya then.