10.05.2026 17:54
In Istanbul, 62-year-old Şükran Samanlı thought the swelling and pain in her abdomen were due to constipation. It was determined that the swelling in Samanlı's belly, which made her look like a pregnant woman, was caused by a 22-kilogram tumor. In a case that even surprised the doctors, the massive mass was removed in a six-hour surgery. The surgeon who performed the operation said, 'It was bigger than a triplet pregnancy.'
Şükran Samanlı, a 62-year-old mother of two living in Istanbul, began feeling bloating and pain in her abdomen, which she attributed to occasional constipation. She did not see a doctor during this time, but her belly grew to look like that of a pregnant woman. When she could hardly breathe, she went to the emergency room of Istanbul Training and Research Hospital. The doctors were astonished by the enormous swelling of her abdomen.
Admitted on March 13, the patient was referred to the gynecological oncology department after tests. Op. Dr. Emin Erhan Dönmez and his team found an ovarian tumor in Samanlı, caused by uncontrolled growth of cells in the ovary. The disease, often described as insidious, can cause groin pain and abdominal bloating. The team decided to operate to remove the mass, which was limiting the patient's movement and pressing on her organs.
22-KILOGRAM MASS REMOVED IN SURGERY
After preparations, a successful operation on April 7 removed the approximately 50 cm, 22 kg mass, and the patient could finally breathe easily. Samanlı was discharged on April 23. Op. Dr. Dönmez stated that her treatment would continue and emphasized that people should see a doctor immediately if they notice any changes in their bodies. The massive swelling in the patient's abdomen was shown in pre-operative images and medical scans.
"I THOUGHT IT WAS CONSTIPATION, IT ALMOST REACHED MY THROAT"
Şükran Samanlı, 62, recounted her experience: "I came in fear, panicked about what would happen. I had no strength left, couldn't breathe, and was hospitalized in the emergency room. I had surgery; now I'm comfortable and can breathe easily. It was a terrible thing; I couldn't understand what was in my belly. It wasn't like pregnancy—in pregnancy, there's some elasticity; this was like a stone. It had pushed up to my stomach and almost reached my throat. In that panic, I rushed to the emergency room; I never imagined such a thing would happen. I waited 2.5–3 months, and that was my mistake. If you'd seen my belly, you'd have been scared—it became immovable. It was perfectly round, with shapeless distortions; when I lay down, it would collapse on one side and then harden. I thought it was constipation because I was often constipated. It was my fault—I never had a gynecological exam after my pregnancies."
"I ASKED TO BE REUNITED WITH MY GRANDCHILDREN"
Samanlı said, "I advise everyone to go to the hospital as soon as they suspect something." She continued: "When the doctor decided on surgery, I looked into his eyes and said, 'Reunite me with my grandchild, sir.' I'll never forget that day. I have an orphan grandchild I care for; I thought only of him. I weighed about 78 kg; now I'm around 57 kg. People who saw me said, 'What are you waiting for? Go to the doctor!' But I was so afraid of what I'd find that I ended up in this situation. No one should be afraid, especially if they have such a doctor. Thank you very much."
"REMOVING THE MASS ALL AT ONCE COULD HAVE POSED A LIFE-THREATENING RISK"
Op. Dr. Emin Erhan Dönmez spoke about his patient: "She first came to our emergency room with complaints of increasing abdominal bloating and pain over the last two months. Initial tests showed a mass filling her abdomen, so she was consulted to us. We found a truly massive tumor extending from the pelvic region to the diaphragm, even pushing against the lung. MRI and ultrasound suggested it was an ovarian tumor."
"Both lower lobes of her lungs had collapsed, and blood oxygenation was impaired due to the mass pressing on the lung and diaphragm. The patient had difficulty doing daily tasks, walking, turning, and even sleeping comfortably. We knew a challenging process lay ahead. The surgery lasted about 6 hours; we found a mass of approximately 50 cm filling the entire abdomen. If we had removed the mass all at once from the blood vessels, the patient's hemodynamics could have suddenly destabilized, leading to circulatory and respiratory complications that could be life-threatening."
"WE BELIEVE IT WAS ABOUT 20-22 KILOGRAMS"
"We drained about 6-7 liters in a controlled manner during surgery," said Op. Dr. Dönmez, noting that the patient's treatment is ongoing. "We gradually separated the mass from surrounding tissues and adherent organs and removed it completely. Before surgery, the patient weighed about 79 kg; after, about 57 kg. We estimate the mass weighed approximately 20-22 kilograms. The message we want to convey is: when people notice any change in their bodies, they should seek medical attention as soon as possible, before such a large mass develops. Operating on a 10 cm mass is not the same difficulty as operating on a 50 cm mass. Ovarian tumors progress somewhat insidiously, occurring in about 1 in 70-80 women. They are less common than breast or uterine cancer, but because they often don't show symptoms, we detect about 70-75% at advanced stages, leading to higher mortality."
"IT WAS THE SIZE OF A TRIPLET PREGNANCY, OR EVEN LARGER"
Emphasizing the insidious nature of the disease, Op. Dr. Dönmez listed symptoms to watch for: "As in our patient, abdominal enlargement, inability to eat due to stomach compression, early satiety, indigestion, and changes in gas and bowel habits due to intestinal pressure." He added: "We recommend all women have an annual gynecological exam. Our patient was lucky because the tumor had not spread within the abdomen. Some tumors as small as 2 cm can spread throughout the abdomen, while others can grow up to 50 cm without rupturing. Externally, the mass was the size of a triplet pregnancy, or even larger. In pregnancy, the belly grows gradually over a longer period, allowing more tolerance. Ovarian tumors grow quickly, reaching this size in about 2-3 months, so tolerance is lower."
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