‘Great Khali' undergoes rare brain surgery at PGI

Time of India

25-05-2025

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Chandigarh: In a medical triumph that defies conventional limits, doctors at the PGI successfully performed complex brain surgery on a towering 35-year-old man measuring 7 feet 7 inches.
The patient, Sunil Kumar, popularly known as 'The
Great Khali
of Jammu', is the tallest patient operated on at the PGI with an excessive growth hormone condition — gigantism. This is a rare disease affecting about 7 to 8 people per million population globally and numbering only in hundreds. This makes Sunil's case exceptionally rare and presented the medical team with unprecedented challenges.
He is posted as a head constable with the Jammu and Kashmir police and suffers from a rare condition called gigantism.
It is a condition characterised by excessive growth due to an overproduction of growth hormone in childhood.
Sunil, who even ventured into acting with roles in movies like 'Stree 2' and as Amitabh Bachchan's body double in 'Kalki', pushed the boundaries of standard surgical procedures. The most significant hurdle arose from his immense stature: he was a full 14 inches taller than the standard operating table, a critical issue that would have left his limbs dangerously unsupported during the delicate procedure, compromising both his safety and the surgeons' ability to work effectively.
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Displaying remarkable quick-thinking, the medical team devised a simple yet brilliant solution. They secured a standard stainless-steel nursing trolley to the end of the operating table, effectively extending its length to 8 feet 5 inches. This improvisation provided ample space for Sunil's entire body, ensuring optimal positioning and a safe surgical environment. Due to Sunil's medical condition, the doctors had to drill through bones that were significantly thicker than normal, even breaking a finer instrument despite using larger tools.
"Working in an institute like PGI is a different experience every day because of the diverse variety of cases we come across," said Dr Rajeev Chauhan, additional professor of anaesthesia. "This patient was challenging in terms of his height and weight as well as other airway concerns. We did a rehearsal one day prior to surgery to make internal arrangements to adjust for the OT table."
The neuro-anaesthesia team, led by Dr Chauhan, managed Sunil's anaesthesia, especially considering that his gigantism can lead to an enlarged tongue and thickened throat tissues, making airway management difficult.
Advanced video technology was used to safely guide the breathing tube into place.
The neurosurgery team, led by Prof Rajesh Chhabra and Dr Apinderpreet Singh, successfully removed the large tumour from Sunil's pituitary gland. Post-surgery, the team is closely monitoring Sunil for any potential complications. "I have done over 100 acromegaly cases — where there is an excessive growth hormone which is mainly due to the tumour in the pituitary gland in an adult.
It does not result in an increase in height, but causes larger hands, feet, ears, lips, and nose and a more prominent jaw and forehead.
But gigantism is rare," said Prof Chhabra.
Despite the limitations his height sometimes presents, such as difficulty finding clothes and travel, Sunil embraces his unique stature. "I have always been healthy and suffered from no illness. I was investigated here and was successfully operated upon," he said.