Evercare claims country’s first ventilator-supported radiotherapy success

Evercare Hospital Chattogram has successfully treated an 18-year-old brain tumour patient by completing 30 sessions of radiotherapy while he was on active ventilator support.
The hospital held a press conference on Wednesday, claiming the successful treatment of a complex malignant brainstem glioma patient was the first of its kind in the country, according to a press release.
The patient's family reportedly took him to Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore for advanced treatment. While undergoing treatment there, his condition suddenly deteriorated. He suffered acute cardiorespiratory failure and was immediately placed on mechanical ventilation.
As it was not possible to continue his treatment there, his family brought him back to Bangladesh while he remained on life support.
Upon returning to Chattogram in a critical condition, the patient was admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) at Evercare Hospital Chattogram.
At that stage, Dr Bhaskar Chakraborty, a visiting consultant in the hospital's Medical and Radiation Oncology Department, took charge of the patient's highly complex and high-risk treatment.
With the consent of the patient's family, he decided to begin radiotherapy.
Through close monitoring and coordinated care by the ICU and oncology teams, the patient gradually recovered. As part of the treatment, he was successfully weaned off ventilator support, and the tracheostomy tube was subsequently removed.
After he regained the ability to swallow, the nasogastric (NG) tube was also removed, and he began eating normally by mouth. In addition, through gait physiotherapy and specialised rehabilitation programmes, the patient regained the ability to walk with the aid of a walker.
A contrast-enhanced MRI fusion scan conducted after the treatment also showed significant improvement in the tumour, the hospital added.