16072025-CT-01.qxd 7/16/2025 12:41 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune LEOPARD CUB SPOTTED NEAR TEMPLE IN PINJORE, RESCUED PORTION OF HOTEL’S TOP FLOOR COLLAPSES A section of the top floor of Hotel Lake View collapsed and landed in third floor balcony in Kishangarh. P3 LIGHT RAIN MAX 33°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 34.9°C | MIN 27.1°C MAHIKA STUNS 7TH SEED IN TENNIS PRE-QUARTERS The young leopard, seemingly separated from its mother, was seen being chased by a pack of dogs. P2 FORECAST Mahika defeated Rajasthan’s Suhani in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 to move into the women’s quarterfinals. P3 » » SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.25 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 5:33 AM » WEDNESDAY | 16 JULY 2025 | CHANDIGARH /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE No more open surgery, PGI removes 2K pituitary tumours via endoscopic procedure Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 15 No more opening of the skull, no scars on the face or head, but a faster and smoother recovery. These are the hallmarks of endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery through which the doctors at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here successfully removed at least 2,300 pituitary tumours in the past decade. “It is a minimally invasive surgical technique used to remove pituitary tumours through the nasal passage, without any external incisions or opening of the skull,” Dr Rajesh Chhabra, Professor at Department of Neurosurgery, PGIMER, told The Tribune. Although pituitary adenomas (benign tumours) are rare in children, the PGIMER doctors have also operated on paediatric cases, including non-functioning tumours and hormonesecreting adenomas like Cushing’s disease and acromegaly — in as young as eight-year-old patients. Besides, more than 80 patients above the age of 70, including the oldest one aged 84, have also been successfully treated. “A comparative analysis between elderly and younger patients showed encouraging and comparable outcomes, extending the reach of endoscopic surgery to both extremes of age,” he said. Another unique case which was treated recently was of gigantism/acromegaly in the tallest patient with 7.7 feet height. Dr Chhabra said the success rate was 90–95% in small to medium-sized tumours, 80–90% for large masses and 60–70% for giant tumours as success decreases with EARLY DETECTION MUST: DOC ❝ Early detection can help prevent complications like permanent vision loss or hormone imbalance. If someone is experiencing headaches, vision changes or unexplained hormonal symptoms, one has to consult a neurologist or endocrinologist or ophthalmologist for further evaluation. — Dr Rajesh Chhabra FILE PHOTO Nitin Jain ❞ increasing size. “Success is defined as complete or near-complete tumour removal, with relief from symptoms like vision loss, headaches and improved hormonal balance,” he shared. Post-surgery, the treated patients can begin their office work within two or three weeks while physical jobs can be resumed within four or six weeks, depending on recovery. Dr Chhabra said preoperative optimisation is done in coordination with the endocrinology and anaesthesia teams. Divulging the surgical technique, he said the patient is placed in a supine position with the head slightly elevat- ed and extended. Under general anaesthesia, nasal decongestion is carried out. The surgery begins with a binostril approach using a 0° or 30° endoscope. A nasoseptal flap is harvested if there is a risk of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak in giant pituitary tumours. continued on page 2 ENDOSCOPIC APPROACH ■ No external scars/craniotomies. ■ Superior illumination and visualisation, especially for large or complex tumours. ■ Shorter hospital stay and recovery time. ■ Lower risk of complications in experienced hands. SURGERY A minimally invasive surgery to remove a pituitary tumour through the nose, using a thin tube-like camera called an endoscope without opening the skull and without leaving any scars on the face or head. ■ In certain group of patients, especially giant ones with multi-compartment, extension transcranial approaches are still used. HOW IT’S DONE BENEFITS ■ Improved vision and relief from headaches. ■ Better hormonal control. After putting the patient under general anaesthesia (completely asleep), the surgeon accesses the tumour through the nostrils. Using special instruments and an endoscope, the tumour is carefully removed. If any fluid (called CSF) leaks, it is repaired using tissue from inside the nose or thigh. The area is sealed and the instruments are removed. The entire procedure takes around 2-3 hours. POST-SURGERY CARE Patient is kept under observation for one or two days. “We will monitor for improvement in symptoms and watch for possible surgeryrelated complications like CSF leak, excessive urination or electrolyte imbalance — most of which respond well to treatment,” Dr Chhabra said, while revealing that most patients are discharged within 5-7 days. ■ Faster recovery than traditional surgery. TEAM OF EXPERTS The skilled and multidisciplinary team of experts that performs the surgeries include neurosurgeons, ENT specialists, endocrinologists, radiologists, anaesthesiologists and ICU doctors SYMPTOMS & DIAGNOSIS Symptoms of pituitary tumours vary depending on its size and whether it produces hormones. They can be grouped into pressure-related and hormone-related symptoms. PREVALENCE Clinically significant pituitary tumours (those causing symptoms or requiring treatment) are found in about one in 1,000-1,500 people. Clear trash from Dadumajra by month-end, MC tells firms WHAT’S ON PU alumnus Hooda is new DGP of Chd Says any penalty by court over delay to be passed onto them Chandigarh, July 15 Panjab University (PU) alumnus Dr Sagar Preet Hooda was today posted as Director General of Chandigarh Police. Haryana native 1997-batch AGMUT cadre IPS officer had served as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in Chandigarh Police after joining the police service in August, 1997. Dr Hooda, who will turn 56 on August 30, was presently posted as Special Commissioner of Police Intelligence with additional charge of Perception Management and Media Cell division, Special Police Unit for Women and Children and Special Police Unit for the North-Eastern Region of the Delhi Police. Earlier, he had also served as Special Commissioner (Law & Order) and Joint Commissioner of Police in Delhi. “With the approval of competent authority, Dr Sagar Preet Hooda, IPS (AGMUT:1997), is hereby transferred from Delhi to Chandigarh and posted as Ramkrishan Upadhyay INBRIEF WOMAN HELD ON SNATCHING CHARGE Chandigarh, July 15 A week after penalising the three companies engaged in clearing legacy waste at the Dadumajra dumping ground for the slow pace of work, the Municipal Corporation has now issued warning letters to them. In the warning letters issued to Braithwaite Burn and Jessop Construction Limited, M/s Hindustan Steelworks Construction Limited and Aakanksha Enterprises, the solid waste management works in-charge has asked the firms to clear the legacy waste by the end of this month. “It has been observed by the Municipal Corporation that legacy waste processing at the dumping ground in Daddumajra is not progressing at the requisite pace according to time allotted for the work. After repeated reminders and pur- The piles of garbage at the Dadumajra dump. TRIBUNE PHOTO: PRADEEP TEWARI suance through meetings since April 2025 has shown appreciably the lowest performances, with machinery remaining non-operational for several days and negligible measurable output,” the notice read, adding that firms had failed to FILE Chandigarh: A 40-year-old woman was arrested for snatching two gold bangles from a woman near the PGI bus stop here on Monday. The accused is a native of Muktsar. A complaint was filed by Sewa Singh of Sector 28, Panchkula. An FIR under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered at Sector-11 police station. TNS Tribune News Service Punjab and Haryana High Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT). “Adverse action, penalty compensation due to the poor performance regarding completion of work from your end will be continued on page 2 Tribune news service Chandigarh, July 15 The Municipal Corporation has issued a challan to a man for littering in Sector 23, after identifying him through CCTV footage shared by local residents. The video shows a twowheeler rider discarding waste in a public place. The MCC traced the scooter registration number on the basis of the CCTV footage, identified the offender and issued him a challan under the Solid Waste Management (MSW) Rules. The violator was also issued a strict warning. Municipal Commissioner Amit Kumar said this action should serve as a strong message that littering in public spaces would not be tolerated. He appealed to the residents to report such violations at WhatsApp No. 9915762917 by sharing images or video clips of violators along with location details. Dr Sagar Preet Hooda DGP Chandigarh, with imme, diate effect and until further orders,” read an order issued by Anish Muraleedharan, Director (S) of Union Ministry of Home Affairs, this afternoon. At present, IGP Pushpendra Kumar has been officiating as the DGP of Chandigarh since June 20 following the transfer of incumbent Surendra Singh Yadav to the Border Security Force (BSF) in April. Dr Hooda did his post-graduation and PhD in Sociology from PU before cracking the civil services exam to become continued on page 2 An inspiration who defied odds with every stride… city residents remember legendary Fauja Singh Deepankar Sharda Tribune News Service Deep Shergill, who organises marathons and even celebrated Fauja's birthday in Chandigarh, with the legendary runner. mobilise adequate resources to complete the work despite repeated notices. The MC noted that it may have to face adverse action or penalty as the project is under the purview of continuous monitoring by both the 1997-batch AGMUT cadre IPS officer has served as ASP in UT Chandigarh, July 15 “Anything worth doing is going to be difficult,” 114year-old marathon runner Fauja Singh had told The Tribune during a marathon in Fatehgarh Sahib a few years ago. His words ring true for many, not only in Chandigarh or India, but across the globe. Fauja breathed his last on Monday afternoon, after being hit by an unidentified vehicle in Jalandhar, but his legacy lives on. His admirers view him as a “guru” and a “figure of inspiration” for the generations to come. Amar Chauhan from Vancouver has to his name 116 gold medals from various marathons in Canada and India, running alongside Fauja Singh at many of them. “Even while running, Fauja Singh was the least bothered about medals, fame or time...he was FILE APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 15, 40, 46 Panchkula: Sector 25 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service Man challaned for littering after locals share video ‘HE GAVE ME A NEW LEASE OF LIFE’ Deep Shergill, a marathon organiser, remembers how she was in a “dark place” before receiving a piece of advice from Fauja. “I used to call him Bapu Ji. I was going through a difficult phase and thought there’s no road ahead until I came across his inspirational story. He not only inspired me to focus on fitness by the means of running a marathon, but also gave me a new lease of life,” said Deep. Amar Chauhan and Opinder Kaur with Fauja Singh in Chandigarh. just fond of watching himself cover a distance others his age could only imagine. He used to read a lot and share enlightening thoughts. I would have lost my passion for marathons, if it was not for him,” said the 82year-old runner. While getting ready for a 20km run being organised to c m y b honour his friend, he said, “With everything that he had to face in life, any other person could have given up on life, but not Fauja Singh. He defied odds with every stride…its really disheartening to see him go like this.” Fauja Singh faced great personal losses in life, including the passing of his wife in 1992 and son in 1994 only to find solace in running. He, in turn, taught a new way of life to many avid runners, who took up the hobby late in life. “I began running at the age of 32, inspired by the legendary Fauja Singh. I had the honour of meeting him at the Super Sikh Run in Anandpur Sahib. His journey brought a new sense of purpose not only to my life, but to countless others. He truly is an inspiration beyond words,” said 40-year-old Kulpreet Brar. A national gold and silver medalist in athletics, 64-yearold Opinder Kaur Sekhon also draws immense inspiration from Fauja, who she fondly recalls calling Baba Ji. “After my brain tumor surgery in the US, I returned to India in 2001. I was feeling determined to rebuild my strength but only found inspiration after hearing Baba Ji’s remarkable story of starting running at the age of 90. His resilience motivated me to push beyond my limits even after losing my father and facing health challenges. I often said ‘I want to become the woman Fauja Singh’ and after 17 years, I finally met him at an event in Chandigarh in 2018,” said Opinder. Surrounded by journalists who would flood him with questions on his fitness and diet Fauja Singh always had an astute advice: “The secret to a long and healthy life is to be stressfree. Be grateful for everything you have, stay away from negative people...keep smiling and keep running.”