Girl with rare face tumor to undergo major surgery on Friday

Catarina Ishim

The last time we saw her, twelve year old Catarina Ishim was headed for Knoxville, Tennessee to receive a much needed surgery for a rare, malignant tumor called Leimyosarcoma. When we first met Catarina, in San Pablo, Toledo the family’s kept their hopes high through their faith because Catarina had undergone two surgeries in Belize but the cancerous tumor kept recurring. Since we did the story, two Christian Missions from U.S offered to do the life-saving operation. She has been undergoing pre-surgery preparation for the last eleven days. The little girl started the medical procedures today for the major operation which will start on Friday. News Five spoke via phone with Catarina’s pediatrician and host, Dr. Rick Glover for an update on the child.

Via Phone: Dr. Rick Glover, Pediatrician

“When she arrived here she stayed at my house with my family for a week just trying to get some more nutrition in her and get her comfortable here and then last week she went to the hospital to get her ready for her big surgery tomorrow. She’s been in the hospital over that while. She has done very well. She’s been in good spirits and her grandfather is doing very well too.”

Andrea Polanco

“Okay.  So she hasn’t had any complications; any pain, any difficulty breathing?”

Via Phone: Dr. Rick Glover

Dr. Rick Glover

“No, with her breathing she has done very well. She has had a little pain but we treated that with pain medicine. She has been very happy. She has actually been eating very well since being at our house. The tumor continues to grow very much and as it grows bigger she has more pain. Today, she is doing a procedure to block off the arteries to the tumor in preparation for major surgery tomorrow morning.”

Andrea Polanco

“So that surgery tomorrow, how long do you anticipate it will last?”

Via Phone: Dr. Rick Glover

“That surgery is expected to take fourteen to twenty hours.”

Andrea Polanco

“Okay and how many doctors working on the team that is attending to Catarina?”

Via Phone: Dr. Rick Glover

“There are at least eight surgeons that are working and am not sure how many anesthesiologists involved and there is a team of three intensive care doctors that are involved in our case and will continue after the surgery.”

Andrea Polanco

“So in terms of the magnitude of the surgery, how would you classify it? Is it really a major surgery that Catarina will be undergoing tomorrow?”

Via Phone: Dr. Rick Glover

“Yes it’s a major surgery with very high risk. We plan to do all we can and we wouldn’t do it if we didn’t think it would turn out well; But this going to be a very major surgery.”

Andrea Polanco

“So after the removal of the tumor, she will have follow procedures?”

Via Phone: Dr. Rick Glover

“Yes, she will have the reconstructive process started tomorrow after the tumor is removed. If she heals and that skin heals if it will quickly, then we will be able to do more reconstruction of her facial structure.”

Andrea Polanco

“Okay. I know the tumor is cancerous, is that correct?”

Via Phone: Dr. Rick Glover

“Yes.”

Andrea Polanco

“Will there be any radiation involved? Any chemo or anything like that?”

Via Phone: Dr. Rick Glover

“Probably not. The cancer, we re-biopsied it after she got here and the particular cancer she has is very aggressive and malignant and it has not spread anywhere else on her body and it is not a cancer that responds very well to chemotherapy or to radiation. So the whole treatment for this cancer is to get it cut off and get all of it cut off of her face.”

Glover says that after the surgery, the team will be able to fully assess Catarina’s post surgery recovery. Next week we’ll tell you the outcome of Friday’s surgery.