15 May,2025 06:51 AM IST | Mumbai | Ritika Gondhalekar
Laxmikant Thakur post-surgery at JJ Hospital. Pic/Ritika Gondhalekar
After enduring excruciating pain and months of malnourishment, 67-year-old Laxmikant Thakur finally had a sip of coconut water. While that single sip brought him joy, what truly gave him relief was the fact that he didn't vomit it. "I had almost forgotten what anything tastes like. Nothing would stay in my stomach. In fact, barely anything reached my stomach, I would throw up almost everything I consumed," Thakur told mid-day.
Thakur's ordeal began a few months ago with severe throat pain that made it impossible for him to eat or drink. Doctors later found swelling and a lump beneath his oesophagus.
"There was a swelling at the point where the oesophagus connects with the stomach and intestines. Initially, we couldn't diagnose the cause. But after multiple tests and X-rays, we identified a bulging lump at the intersection," said Dr Rukmini Waghmare, a member of Thakur's surgical team at JJ Hospital.
Since there was a lump, doctors initially suspected cancer. "But once we extracted it and sent it for testing, the culture reports confirmed it was non-cancerous," added Dr Waghmare.
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While Thakur was grateful for the minimally invasive surgery and the promise of a shorter recovery, his journey to getting operated was nothing short of traumatic.
"We went to four hospitals - two in Mumbai, one in Pune, and one in Bhopal. All of them refused to operate on me, saying I was too old for such a procedure. They told my wife to continue giving me liquids and said I didn't have much time. It was an extremely painful six-month-long doctor-hunting ordeal," he recalled.
Thakur said the pain had actually started nearly two years ago.
"But we can't afford to visit doctors for every little ache. Even though civic hospitals are free, going there means taking a day off work. We are daily-wage workers, and losing a day's pay just to get checked for mild pain doesn't make sense, especially when the pain is bearable. Back then, I could still eat and drink. It just hurt to swallow. It was only some seven to eight months ago that I started vomiting everything, and things spiralled out of control," he said.
He also raised a difficult question: "Are old and poor people not worthy of being treated?"
Doctors said robotic surgery played a crucial role in saving Thakur. "Open or even laser surgery would have been extremely painful for someone of his age. Even laser procedures, though less invasive, require space inside the body to place retractors and surgical tools. These retractors can slip and need adjusting multiple times," said Dr Girish Bakshi, head of the surgery department at JJ Hospital.
"In robotic surgery, the incision is minimal, and once the robotic arm is inserted, it doesn't move unless controlled. Its 360-degree rotation makes handling delicate internal parts much safer. That's why we were able to operate on Thakur smoothly despite his age," he added.
Dr Waghmare said Thakur has now been discharged and is recovering well.
"He can have all kinds of liquids - water, juices, coconut water, even crushed rice soup. Next week, we'll slowly introduce soft solids like bananas, overcooked rice, and soft fruits. If he digests them well, he'll transition to a normal diet," she said.
Thakur's challenges, however, are far from over.
"I'm returning to my hometown healthy, but once I come back, I need to find work so my wife and I can eat. My daughter is married and my son is working, but neither of them came to see me in the hospital. At this age, I just hope to get some work so we can at least eat two meals a day," he said.
