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​​The end of tough momentsKhoban-Esophagectomy-surgery-Dr-Mujib-Sakhi-(16).jpg

A successful esophagostomy on Khoban 

Khoban is a 60-year-old woman from the northern province of Baghlan, Afghanistan. Despite the prevailing financial challenges, she has a friendly family. Her husband Sayed Hamdam is an owner of a second-hand shop in the city of Pulikhumri, and she is a housewife. They work together to make a bright future for their children by sending them to school.  

In July 2021, Khoban experienced a disgusting illness. She had difficulty in swallowing food and most of the time she was experiencing annoying reflux after eating and drinking. She did not know that they were the primary signs of oesophageal cancer. After losing a lot of weight and extreme paling due to iron deficiency, she visited a hospital in her hometown and received some medicines including antibiotics and injections, but the medicine did not work at all and she had to visit other doctors since her health conditions got worse. Unfortunately, the diagnoses were incorrect and medicines were not effective. 

After four months of struggle, she decided to visit FMIC’s general and oncologic surgeons, Dr Mujib Sakhi and Dr Rohullah Noorbig. They recommended an endoscopy to get a sample for histopathology, along with a CT scan and blood test. The reports showed that there is an oesophagal tumour named adenocarcinoma and grew up to the gastric cardia (closed to the stomach). A surgical procedure called transhiatal esophagostomy was needed to extract the tumour otherwise; the patient would die due to extreme malnutrition and iron deficiency. 

The surgery was performed at end of 2021 and the tumour was extracted successfully. After the surgery, the patient was shifted in the post-surgical ward and for 3 days the patient was getting food by tube. After that, she could drink and eat normally and it was the right time to be discharged. 

“Although I have suffered a lot, God helped me overcome the toughest moments in my life”, Khoban said.