A rare surgical operation was performed at the King Abdullah Medical City (KAMC) in Makkah, where surgical teams managed to successfully remove a cancerous tumor from the stomach of a Saudi patient, local media said.

The tumor, which was too big to block gastric outlet, stopped the patient, in his 50s, from eating and drinking for several days, burnews.com online paper reported.

The operation, which was carried out by a medical team headed by Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Zahrani, consultant of liver surgery and tumors at KAMC, lasted for 13 hours, the paper said.

The tumor was reportedly extended into the belly, including the stomach, duodenum, liver and pancreas, a matter that necessitated the removal of part of the abdominal viscera, the paper said.

Al-Zahrani had earlier said that the patient was referred to the KAMC when he began suffering from abdominal pain and bleeding in the intestine, as well as an inability to eat as a result of a tumor in the upper part of abdomen.

He said the patient is in stable condition and will be discharged from the intensive care unit (ICU) in the next two days as soon as his heath condition improves.

Meanwhile, a survey conducted by KAMC at a shopping mall in Makkah showed that at least 40 percent of shoppers were suffering from diseases that can have a negative impact on the heart, Al-Jazirah newspaper reported.

The random survey, which coincides with world cardiology day, showed cases of high blood pressure (HBP) and diabetics among a number of men and women who were oblivious to their ailments.

Some of the prospective patients were given guidance, while others were advised to consult doctors and further tests, the paper said.

Mohamed Sulaiman, a cardiologist at KAMC, said the survey included 110 samples and large numbers of respondents in the 35 to 50-year age group, who were discovered to have health problems that could negatively impact on heart, the paper said.