Q: My brother is 22 years old and is suffering from carotid body tumour. The mass starts from the throat, has covered the artery and some nerves and has entered his brain. What is the right diagnosis? Is surgery for this successful? The present symptoms are swelling on the right side of the neck, inability to hear from the right ear, stiffness on the right side of the face. Where should surgery be done?

A:A carotid body tumour is a dangerous condition, and the tumour is difficult to remove. During removal the supply of blood from the heart to the brain may be affected on one side, therefore special manoeuvres are needed to ensure that this does not happen. In early cases, surgery may definitely be successful. However, your brother appears to have an advanced lesion. It sounds as if this may not be removable, although one cannot be certain without seeing the patient. Your best bet for surgery is a vascular surgeon: available in Delhi at Sir Ganga Ram, Apollo, and Escorts.