Surgical team saves patient’s life

Symptom: Red urine

Don Guillermo (2nd from right) lives close to nature. In the middle of the countryside in the province of Cotabambas stands his little adobe house. He cultivates his fields and takes care of his cows, sheep and horses. Like him, his ancestors have been working since time immemorial. He does not have an official school diploma. He speaks only Quechua with his wife and five children. He does not speak Spanish. According to his own estimates, he is 75 years old, but no one knows for sure. Of course, he meets all the international criteria of great poverty, but his activity under the sun gives him great pleasure. And he is by no means unhappy, despite his limited opportunities.

However, farming has become increasingly difficult for him in recent months. His strength waned and he gasped for breath as he walked uphill. He also noticed that his urine was turning red. Red like blood.

A few days ago, he traveled to the Diospi Suyana Hospital. Urologist Benjamin Zeier arranged all the necessary examinations. The findings on computed tomography showed a large tumor in the right kidney that had apparently been causing the bleeding for a long time. His Hb value was 5.8 (normal 12 – 16).

On February 3, the Quechua Indian was operated on at the mission hospital by a team of surgeons. At the table were urologist Dr. Zeier, general surgeon Dr. Lukas Steffen and resident Dr. Ivan Palomino. They removed the right kidney and ureter, giving the patient a chance to live for many more years. Now ten days have passed. The tough Peruvian walks through the corridors of the hospital as if nothing had happened. And we are all happy about the successful intervention. Soon he will be able to go home and play with his grandchildren.

The red arrows show the tumor in the right kidney.
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