Two siblings from Uttarakhand diagnosed with large tumours in vital organs of adrenal glands received a new lease of life after undergoing complex surgeries, doctors said on July 4.

The patient,15 years old, and her younger brother patient, 8 years old, were taken to the hospital with very high blood pressure and various other complications, including seizures.

The elder patient had a large tumour measuring 4.5 cm in the left adrenal gland, while the 8 years old, had two tumours, one in each adrenal gland, said the doctors who performed the surgery at the hospital in Uttarakhand.

The doctors said that the 8 years old patient had a larger tumour in her right adrenal gland measuring 5.5 cm, while the one in the left adrenal gland measured 2.5 cm.

"The initial challenge for us was to stabilise the blood pressure of the siblings before planning the complex surgery. We planned to remove the tumours and preserve the normal part of the adrenal gland because it is a very vital organ which produces steroids and maintains blood pressure.

"We accomplished this by using minimally invasive surgery through keyhole incisions," said Ashwin Mallya, urologist and robotic surgeon, who operated on both patients.

First the 8 years old patient underwent laparoscopic surgery for left adrenal tumour removal, which took two hours with 50 ml blood loss. After that, the 15 years old patient was operated upon using robotic technology, which took three-and-a-half hours.

The doctors said that biopsy reports of the tumours revealed pheochromocytoma (a rare adrenal tumour). Genetic studies of the siblings have revealed a rare familial tumour syndrome called VHL syndrome, which causes tumours all over the body.