First, she spoke no language other than Bengali and we needed an interpretor to create a rapport with her and convince her for the operation, explained Dr Ashish Suri, professor of neuro-surgery.
A team of doctors then carried out a detailed study on Siddiqa, examining the pros and cons of performing a surgery to remove the tumour.
“The tumour had to be taken out through the nose by inserting an endoscope through the nostrils. She suffered significant blood loss during the operation as the tumour was a vascular one.
Also, as her body frame was huge, it required a large operation table for which we had to join additional trolleys,” Suri said.
The procedure was successful and, after being in the ICU for a few days, Siddiqa has now been shifted to the ward.
“She still stoops while walking due to the spinal fracture for which she will require additional treatment,” Tandon said.
However, according to doctors, had her condition been diagnosed 10 years back, she would have been fit by now.
Any further delay on the other hand would have resulted in loss of vision and could even have proved fatal, doctors said.
Siddiqa was recognised as the tallest woman in the world by Guinness World Records in the second week of 2013.
